Jewish Community Council of Victoria

JCCV logo

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria Inc (JCCV) is the peak representative body for Victorian Jewry, representing nearly 60 Jewish community organisations and over 52,000 Victorian Jews. The JCCV’s mission is to represent the Victorian Jewish community, the largest Jewish community in Australia, 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.

Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews has said of the organisation:

The Council's promotion of religious tolerance, and its supervision of community security, has made Victoria a safer and friendlier place. ^[1]

The Australian Context

Jews have lived in what was to become Australia from the beginning of European settlement (1788)^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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. 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 60 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 January 2015

Activities

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 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 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, Spriritual 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:

Holocaust (Yom Hashoah) commemoration
Yom Haatzmaut Cocktail Reception (in partnership with ZCV)
Community Awards evening

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 and community welfare projects such as the Youth Alcohol Project, Child Protection Working Group, Pastoral Care Project and the GLBTI (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex) Reference Group
Professional training, networking & guest speaker 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
Online community events calendar
Jewish community diary and directory
Jewish community immersion days for politicians and service providers to the Jewish community
Hosting of forums on topics of communal interest
Promotion of affiliate organisations’ activities
Liaison with police on incidents of anti-Semitism and on community security
Combating of racism – particularly anti-Semitism in partnership with 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 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:

Community liaison
Search volunteers
Kosher food for those affected
Emergency transport
Emergency accommodation
Emergency clothing
Dispatch 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 January 2015 were as follows:

Honorary Officers

President		Jennifer Huppert
Vice President & Affiliate Relations		Atida Lipshatz
Hon Treasurer		Ian Jones

Executive Members

Security		Jack Lipson
Governance & Fundraising		Anton Hermann
Marketing		Bram Presser
Multicultural & Interfaith		Frances Prince
Community Research & Welfare		Rimma Sverdlin OAM
Online Engagement		Dr Andre Oboler
Community Engagement & Social Inclusion		Doron Abramovici
Anti-Defamation Commission (Ex Officio)		Dr Dvir Abramovich
Zionist Council of Victoria (Ex Officio)		Sharene Hambur

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 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:

Jennifer Huppert (JCCV President)
Dr Danny Lamm (Immediate past ECAJ President)
Dr Dvir Abramovich
Sharene Hambur
Atida Lipshatz
Tom May
Dr Andre Oboler
Rysia Rozen OAM
John Searle
Sam Tatarka

References

↑ The Jewish Community Council of Victoria Annual Report 2014, p. 7.
↑ For a history of the Jews in Australia, see History of the Jews in Australia
↑ ‘The Jewish Population of Victoria: key findings from the 2006 census’ (Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University, 2009) Andrew Markus and Tanya Aronov.
↑ ‘Gen08: Jewish Population Survey (Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University, 2009) Andrew Markus et al.