Published: 29 August 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
The effort needed to maintain The Jewish Independent requires ever-increasing investment. Our work delivers value to you, we now invite you to offer something in return.
The Jewish Independent was launched in 2015 to provide a more inclusive platform for news, voices and discussion about Australia, Israel and the Jewish world. From the start, we have been committed to generating critical discussion across the political divide, by engaging with multiple positions.
During the past eight years, The Jewish Independent has changed the conversation across the spectrum of Jewish debate. During the pandemic we investigated a hidden underbelly of Australian anti-lockdown groups espousing antisemitic views; our three-part video series, Covid Courage: Stories of Sydney Jewry, was named Best Audio-Visual Report in the Multicultural NSW Media Awards and another video series, From their Perspective: Palestinian Citizens of Israel, won this year's award.
On the political front, our coverage of the 2022 federal election led the way in highlighting how Jewish identity and Israel became a lightning rod for key battles between the “teal” and Liberal candidates who were contesting “Jewish electorates”. Our Crossroads surveys in 2021 and 2023 have raised independent research of attitudes to Jews, and by Jews, to a new level of engagement.
The quality of our journalism has been recognised by leaders in the wider media landscape. Michael Gawenda, former Editor-In-Chief of The Age, says: “Plus61J has become one of my favourite sources for news and commentary about Jewish life in Australia. The work it does offers independent, vigorous, sometimes critical coverage of trends, issues, and challenges that face Australian Jews.
“Its coverage of Israel and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is better than most of the coverage in the mainstream media. Its reporting and commentary about the deep connection between Australian Jews and Israel is nuanced and measured. Always worth reading even when you might disagree with some of the commentary. The Jewish Independent is a great success story.”
