My family arrived in the gold rush. My great-grandparents married at this synagogue

1 week ago 13

East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation is one of the oldest synagogues in Australia. For families like mine, who have been in Australia since the Ballarat gold rush, it holds more than architectural or historical value. Nearly a century ago, my great-grandparents, Rachel and David Miller, stood under a Chuppah, and got married in that very building. My great-grandmother had fled the pogroms of Russia, and great-grandfather came from Britain. They found each other here, in a new land, and they dared to believe in a future that would allow their children peace and prosperity.

Gabi Kaltmann’s great-grandparents Rachel and David Miller in 1927, on the day of their wedding at East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, the synagogue targeted in an arson on Friday night.

East Melbourne Synagogue has always been surrounded by churches and old civic buildings. Built in the 1870s, it was a place that bore witness to the promise Australia extended to Jewish immigrants that, here, they would not be hunted or persecuted for their faith. Here, in the heart of Melbourne they could pray without fear. The synagogue has always been a symbol of Jewish contribution, with its stained-glass windows and plaques honouring the King of England.

Over the years, I’ve visited East Melbourne Synagogue for events, the odd Shabbat service, and moments of reflection. Though most Jewish families now live in Melbourne’s suburbs, these older synagogues are etched into our hearts. They remind us that we come from people who ran for their lives and built something sacred when they arrived. Our ancestors laid the foundation not just of buildings, but of belief, that Australia would be different.

That’s why, when I turned on my phone after Shabbat and saw the news, I couldn’t breathe. Someone has poured flammable liquid on the front door of East Melbourne Synagogue and set it alight while 20 people were eating Friday night dinner there on Shabbat.

This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t random. It was deliberate.

Someone tried to burn down a place where my great-grandmother once held her wedding bouquet with trembling hands. Where a small but dedicated community gather each week for Shabbat. Someone tried to burn our memories. Our story. Our faith.

As a community rabbi in Melbourne, it’s hard to explain the grief that sits in your chest when a sacred place is violated. I want to believe that justice will prevail, but this incident has deeply unsettled me. Unfortunately, in recent months, this does not seem to be an isolated event. It’s part of a rising tide of antisemitism that has made Jews in Australia feel unsafe in ways most of us never thought possible.

And yet, I still believe in the promise that brought my great-grandparents Rachel and David here. I believe in this country, even when it feels hard. I believe in the vast majority of Australians who reject hate, who believe that churches and synagogues and mosques should be safe.

So if you’re reading this, and you know someone who is Jewish, reach out. Let them know you stand with them. As a community, we are tired. We are hurting. But we are still here. And we still hope.

Gabi Kaltmann is a rabbi at the Ark Centre in Hawthorn.

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