The firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne early this morning has brought our community to new depths of sorrow. It is also an entirely predictable development. For over a year we have seen racist mobs impeding on the rights and freedoms of ordinary Australians. We have been locked out of parts of our cities because the police could not ensure our safety. Students have been told to stay away from campuses. We have been locked down in synagogues. Our security and place in society has been eroded. No more. I urge every Jewish Australian to do something today to deepen their connection to their community and their people. Light Shabbat candles. Put on teffilin. Put on a kippah. Give to charity. Put on a Star of David necklace. Do not be afraid. You belong to an extraordinary nation. And I urge our Prime Minister and our government to contemplate and reflect on how it has come to this. How under their leadership a house of prayer has been burned. How decent Australians now question whether they have a place in this country. We have been led into a period of darkness. It is time to bring the light and clarity to guide us out.
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