Jewish Community Council of Victoria

The Australian Context

Jews have lived in what was to become Australia from the beginning of European settlement (1788) but the Jewish population only grew significantly after World War II, largely due to migration from Europe. The last Australian Census (2006) put the Jewish population of Melbourne (Victoria’s capital) at 40,547 of a national Jewish population of 88,834. It is estimated, however, that there may well be under-counting of up to 30% for a range of reasons. One reputable analysis of the Census figures estimates that 60,080 Jews live in Victoria, constituting 1.2% of the total Victorian population.

The large number of Jewish schools, synagogues, kosher restaurants and other cultural activities indicate a thriving and engaged community. Concentration of these institutions around the South Eastern Melbourne suburbs of Caulfield, East St Kilda and Elsternwick provides a Jewish environment widely considered as unparalleled elsewhere in Australia.

The Victorian Jewish community comprises a range of sub-groups including strong Chabad, Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Yiddishist and Progressive communities, but the majority of Jews describe themselves as traditional and strongly Zionist.

Unlike many other diaspora communities, Victoria’s Jewish population has continued to grow due to immigration from the former Soviet Union, South Africa, Israel and New Zealand.

History

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria came into being on 10 October 1989, as the successor to the Melbourne Jewish Advisory Board (est. 1921), the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board (est. 1938) and the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies (est. 1948).

Melbourne Jewish leaders had been acknowledging and arguing the need for communal representation since the mid-1800s, but it was not until 1921 that the success of a combined reception for visiting Chief Rabbi Hertz convinced a number of prominent Melbourne Jews that a united mouthpiece could only work to the advantage of the community. The result was the Melbourne Jewish Advisory Board (MJAB), whose membership was drawn from the three major synagogue congregations.

In 1936, the combined weight of the secular Judean League, the Yiddishist Kadimah and the Victorian Zionist Organisation was sufficient to impel the MJAB to agree to the formulation of a new constitution which would allow input from the secularists. The MJAB now renamed itself the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board (VJAB) and its new Constitution was ratified and adopted in 1938.

During World War II the representational base of the VJAB was further expanded to include 18 constituents by 1947. At a meeting on May 7, 1948, delegates to the VJAB agreed formally to rename and reconstitute themselves as the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies (VJBD).

The VJBD functioned as a vibrant and effective parliament from 1947 until the mid-to-late 1970s.

In 1988 delegates approved a name change and the VJBD became the Jewish Community Council of Victoria on 10 October 1989. The new name was promoted as having greater meaning for a cosmopolitan Jewry entering the 1990s.

The JCCV became an incorporated entity in 2000.

Since the JCCV was established, new member organisations ("affiliates") have continued to join and as of August 2015, the JCCV had 54 affiliates.

Affiliation

The JCCV’s affiliation is drawn from the many organisations that constitute the Victorian Jewish community. As of January 2015, the JCCV had nearly 60 affiliate organisations, representing a range of religious, political, cultural, welfare, educational and social associations. Examples of affiliated organisations include synagogues, sporting clubs, welfare and aged care institutions, schools, historical societies, medical fraternities and museums. Affiliates are able to share views through the JCCV’s Plenum, which meets seven times per calendar year.

Affiliates as of August 2016

Access Inc
Auburn Road Centre (ARK)
Australasian Union of Jewish Students (Victoria)
Australian Jewish Democratic Society Inc
Australian Jewish Historical Society of Victoria Inc
Australian Jewish Psychologists Inc
Australian Society of Polish Jews & Their Descendents
Ballarat Hebrew Congregation
Bialik College
Blake St Hebrew Congregation
B'nai B'rith Victoria Inc
Brighton Hebrew Congregation
Caulfield Hebrew Congregation Inc
Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria Ltd
East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation
Elwood Talmud Torah Congregation
Emmy Monash Aged Care Inc
Forum of Russian Speaking Jewry
Stand-Up (Jewish Aid Australia)
Jewish Care (Vic) Inc
Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library (Kadimah)
Jewish Holocaust Museum & Research Centre
Jewish Labor Bund Inc
Jewish Museum of Australia
Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence
Kehilat Nitzan Conservative (Masorti) Community Inc
Kew Hebrew Congregation Inc
King David School (The)
Keshet Australia
Kosher Meals on Wheels Association of Victoria Inc
Leibler-Yavneh College
Maccabi Victoria
Magen David Adom Victoria Inc
March of the Living Australia
Melbourne Hebrew Congregation Inc
Mizrachi Organisation
Mount Scopus Memorial College
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (Vic)
North Eastern Jewish War Memorial Centre Inc (Yeshurun Synagogue)
Oz Shalom TV Inc
Progressive Judaism Victoria
Shalom Association Inc
Sholem Aleichem College
South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation
St Kilda Hebrew Congregation
Theodor Herzl Social Club Inc
United Jewish Education Board Inc
Victorian Association of Jewish Ex & Servicemen & Women Australia Inc
Wings of Care (Kanfei Chessed) Inc
Zionism Victoria
Zionist Youth Council

Advocacy

The JCCV devotes much of its resources to advocating for the Jewish community with the State Government and other politicians, NGOs, the media and other shapers of public opinion. The JCCV is regularly asked to provide submissions to Government on a wide range of issues on behalf of Victorian Jewry. In the past these have included reforms into the Sentencing Act, Racial Vilification legislation, Child Protection and Equal Opportunity legislation.

The JCCV also coordinates with local Government on issues such as the operation of traffic lights on the Jewish Sabbath.

In partnership with Zionism Victoria, the JCCV promotes a more sophisticated public understanding of Israel's efforts to achieve peace and security, and counteracts misinformation on Israel, the Middle East and in the Arab/Israel conflict.

Interfaith and intercultural activities

In addition to advocacy, the JCCV is heavily involved in inter/multifaith and inter/multicultural activities and dialogue. This includes establishing bilateral ties and hosting functions with other faiths and communities, and by participating in various multicultural and multifaith organisations, including the Victorian Office of Multiculturalism & Citizenship's Multifaith Advisory Group (MAG), the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, Spiritual Health Victoria, Victoria Police Multicultural Portfolio Reference Group, the Victoria Police Interfaith Council and the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia.

Public ceremonies

The JCCV also hosts a variety of public ceremonial events that commemorate or celebrate aspects of communal life, including:

General activities

Another major area of activity is the provision of services to JCCV affiliates and the Jewish community in general. These include:

Community Security Group (CSG)

The Community Security Group (CSG) is a team of skilled and dedicated volunteers who are carefully selected and appropriately trained. It exists to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community in Victoria.

The Community Security Group:

The CSG may be contacted on 9519 8600 (office hours).

In an emergency call 000 and then 1300 000 274 (24 hours).

Jewish Emergency Management Plan (JEMP)

Jewish Emergency Management Plan (JEMP) is a coordinated plan to deal with any major emergency, either locally or overseas, which may affect members of the Jewish community.

JEMP provides support to Emergency Service Organisations (ESOs) and communal organisations in event of a major emergency.

A JEMP Duty Officer is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer emergency calls from ESOs and Jewish communal leaders.

Where necessary, and with the coordination of the affected communal organisation, JEMP establishes its Emergency Operations Centre staffed by trained volunteers who answer incoming calls to the JEMP InfoLine (Vic 1800 18 18 16, NSW 1300 JEMP AU). The InfoLine can provide up-to-date, accurate information about the current emergency.

The JEMP Recovery Committee plans and manages the recovery of the Jewish communal way of life following a major disaster.

In an emergency, an on-scene JEMP Scene Liaison Officer will offer to provide:

The Executive

The JCCV is run by a democratically elected Executive. Executive members as at January 2015 were as follows:

Linkage to the ECAJ

Along with peak bodies from the other Australian States and Territories, the JCCV is a member of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), [1] the umbrella body for the Jewish communities of Australia, which is involved in matters of national interest, particularly foreign policy, education and immigration.

The president of the JCCV is a vice-president of the ECAJ and Victoria is represented by a further nine councillors.

ECAJ Councillors

As at January 2015, Victoria's ECAJ councillors were as follows: