Jewish Community Council of Victoria

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria Inc (JCCV) is the roof body of the Jewish community of Victoria, the Australian state with the largest Jewish population (approximately 65,000). The JCCV’s mission is to represent the Victorian Jewish community on all matters that affect its status, welfare and interests. The JCCV was established in 1938 as the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board. It has been known as the Jewish Community Council of Victoria since 1989 and became an incorporated entity in 2000.

Former Premier of Victoria John Brumby said of the organisation:

The JCCV continues to be a passionate advocate for Jewish people in our State and an enduring voice of reason across the broader Victorian community.

Since its inception, the JCCV has not only tirelessly promoted the welfare and interests of its member organisations, but has made a significant contribution to Victoria and to maintaining our diverse, tolerant and peaceful society.

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, Yiddishist and Progressive contingents, 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. The 1980s saw something of a down turn in its impact and influence, due in part to the complacency engendered by Melbourne Jewry’s increasing affluence and sense of security within Australian society.

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 September 2011, the JCCV had 58 affiliates.

Affiliation

The JCCV’s affiliation is drawn from the many organisations that constitute the Victorian Jewish community. As of September 2011, the JCCV had 58 affiliates, representing a range of religious, political, cultural, welfare, educational and social associations. Examples of affiliated organisations include synagogues, sporting clubs, 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 September 2011

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 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 the Zionist Council of 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 sitting on various multicultural and multifaith organisations, including the Victorian Multicultural Commission's Multicultural Advisory Group, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, Police and Community Multicultural Advisory Committee (PACMAC), the Victoria Police Multifaith 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:

Holocaust remembrance
Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

candle lighting

General activities

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

Social justice projects such as the Youth Alcohol Program and the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Reference Group
Professional networking events
Administration of the Council for Jewish Education in Schools to allow tax deductibility of donations to Jewish schools
Oversight of the community's annual appeals and events calendar
Hosting of forums on topics of communal interest
Hosting of professional networking events
Promotion of affiliate organisations’ activities
Liaison with police on incidents of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...

and on communtiy security
Combating of racism – particularly anti-Semitism through the Anti-Defamation Commission
Oversight of community security via the Community Security Group
Auspicing of the Jewish Emergency Management Plan (JEMP)

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:

Provides highly trained volunteers to protect the Jewish community at shules on Shabbat and Yom Tovim
Protects the Jewish community’s major functions
Responds to security emergencies 24/7
Trains schools parents to protect our children at Jewish Schools
Trains commercial security guards at Jewish schools and other facilities
Provides security advice for Jewish Community organisations
Liaises with State and Federal Police to ensure our community gets the best possible protection

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

In an emergency call 000 and then 9523 0434 (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:

Community liaison
Search volunteers
Kosher food for those affected
Emergency transport
Emergency accommodation
Emergency clothing
Eispatch of the Jewish first aid response group, Hatzolah
Dispatch of Community Security Group (CSG)
Coordination of Rabbinic counselling
Other Jewish counselling and crisis services
Advice on Jewish issues arising as a result of the emergency
Jewish funeral services as requested by a relative

The Executive

The JCCV is run by a democratically elected Executive. Executive members as at September 2011 were as follows:

Honorary Officers

President		John Searle
Vice President		Nina Bassat AM
Hon Treasurer		Mory Kalkopf

Executive Members & Committee Chairs

Multicultural & Interfaith		Simon Tisher
		Dr Helen Light AM
Security		Mathew Lazarow
Social Justice		Rimma Sverdlin
Anti-Defamation Commission		Anton Block
Leadership		Peter Eben
Membership		Dr Mervyn Cass
Youth		Jesse Sharp
Special Projects		Vacant
Ex Officio - ZCV		Sam Tatarka

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), the umbrella body for the entire Jewish community of Australia. This takes its work into national areas of 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 September 2011, Victoria's ECAJ councillors were as follows:

Dr Dvir Abramovich

Anton Block

Ron Finkel

Sharene Hambur

Rabbi James Kennard

Robert Lissauer

Grahame Leonard AM

Ian Samuel

John Searle

Sam Tatarka

External links

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