Miriam Hasofer is the principal of Sydney’s Moriah College, a Jewish independent school, and told the inquiry the hate directed at her community had become “crude, vile and targeted” and was designed to intimidate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Moriah College principal Miriam Hasofer speaks as a witness during the NSW Legislative Council\u2019s parliamentary inquiry. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)<\/p>\n
“Last week a year 9 girl was chased up Queens Park Road by a woman shouting, ‘F*** the Jews’, ‘f****** c-word’, ‘free Palestine’, over and over,” Ms Hasofer told the inquiry.<\/p>\n
“This was a child walking to school; she was terrified.”<\/p>\n
‘Relentless drip-feed of hate’If you or anyone you know needs help:<\/p>\n
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Ms Hasofer also described receiving an anonymous message stating: “I hope all the children, parents and staff get cancer and die a slow, painful death. Praise Hitler.”<\/p>\n
She also recounted incidents of people driving past the college and giving the Nazi salute or yelling “f*** the Jews”.<\/p>\n
“Each one is horrific on their own but together they form a relentless drip-feed of hate,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Hasofer said security had been stepped up at Moriah College in response.<\/p>\n
“In 2025 we are averaging nearly one incident a week; that’s nearly two years of relentless, targeted abuse,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Our leaders are operating like a counterterrorism unit and this has become our new normal.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Police officers outside Mt Sinai College in Maroubra in January after an antisemitic incident. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Emanuel School board member Bassina Farbenblum told the inquiry Jewish students were “genuinely fearful” for their safety.<\/p>\n
“There were kids in my son’s year who had raw eggs thrown at them at Westfield because they were in school uniform,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The kids are always hypervigilant \u2014 they might bring a different jumper to put on, or they’re looking around them if they’ve got the insignia of the school.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It is not just students at Jewish independent schools being targeted.<\/p>\n
Avishai Conyer is the head of youth and young adult engagement at Sydney’s Emanuel Synagogue.<\/p>\n
He told the inquiry most of the students who were part of his synagogue attended non-Jewish schools and often reported trying to avoid conflict over their identity.<\/p>\n
“They make an active choice to take off their Star of David necklace \u2026 or not wanting to make a fuss when someone draws a swastika on the locker,” he said.<\/p>\n
‘Hate incidents’ on the increase
<\/p>\n
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson told the inquiry there was no doubt the incidents were antisemitic. (ABC News: Taryn Southcombe)<\/p>\n
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said the rate of “hate incidents” recorded against the Jewish community was increasing year on year.<\/p>\n
Hate incidents recorded by NSW Police<\/p>\n
- \n
- 2023 \u2014 1,300 incidents, of which 22 per cent were antisemitic<\/li>\n
- 2024 \u2014 1,600 incidents, of which 27 per cent were antisemitic<\/li>\n
- 2025 \u2014 1,121 incidents so far, of which 33 per cent have been antisemitic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Deputy Commissioner Hudson was questioned by the inquiry about the spate of graffiti and arson attacks on the Jewish community over summer and whether they constituted antisemitism.<\/p>\n
“Whilst the catalyst of those incidents was a manipulation of the criminal justice system by an individual \u2026 the Jewish community was targeted; they were putting lives in danger,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think we would consider it anything but antisemitic in nature.”<\/p>\n
Several members of the inquiry also questioned whether the incidents targeted at the community were anti-Jewish or anti-Israel attacks.<\/p>\n
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