COMMUNITY UPDATE - Israel and Iran

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CSG Victoria is aware of reports emerging that Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran on 19 April.

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At this stage, our assessment remains the same as on 14 April.

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We are closely monitoring the situation, and will provide updates in the event of any potential impacts on the Victorian Jewish community.

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Shabbat Shalom.

COMMUNITY UPDATE

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In response to Iran's attacks on Israel overnight, CSG Victoria has initiated a series of precautionary measures, to support the ongoing safety and security of the Victorian Jewish Community.

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These heightened security actions are being taken out of an abundance of caution.  They are not due to any specific information or warning relating to Victoria:

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•  continuing increased CSG security coverage around the community (initiated yesterday in response to the Bondi Junction stabbing attack).
   

• communication with community organisations to advise on additional security measures to be implemented over the coming week (reassessed daily or ealier as required).
   

• requests to Victoria Police increase visible police presence throughout the Victorian Jewish community.

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Since October 7, CSG Victoria has worked tirelessly with community, law enforcement and government to enable and promote Jewish life and the Jewish way of life in Victoria.  This will continue for as long as it is needed.

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We are monitoring the situation closely in collaboration with other national CSGs and relevant authorities.  This inlcudes a planned 'multi-city economic blockade' tomorrow Monday 15 April 2024 by Pro-Palestinian activitsts.

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Encourage yoru family and friends to downlaod the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP) for easy access to emergency services, CSG Victoria and Hatzolah.

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In an emergency call 000 first.  Then contact CSG Victoria.  If you see or experience anything suspicious, contact CSG Victoria on 1300 000 274 or report via JEAP.

COMMUNITY UPDATE 2  - NSW Incident
 

Further to our earlier advice, NSW Police has this evening provided a statement regarding the mass casualty incident at Bondi Junction Shopping Centre in Sydney.

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The identity of the attacker has not yet been confirmed, and no motive or ideology have been established at this time.   Investigations are in early stages and remain ongoing.

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Out of an abundance of caution and for community reassurance.  CSG Victoria will continue to provide increased security coverage around the community tonight, and for the reminder of the weekend.

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Our security advice is unchanged.  In an emergency call 000 first, then contact CSG Victoria.  If you see or experience anything suspicious, contact CSG Victoria on 1300 000 244 or report via the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP).

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT - Uni Ready 2024

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CSG Victoria is aware of concern among tertiary students in our community, regarding their return to university and TAFE campuses in 2024.  On Tuesday 13 February 2024, CSG Victoria in collaboration with AUJS Victoria, is holding a practical 'Uni Ready' seminar to empower all students and their families in the lead up to this semester.

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The session has been strategically designed for life on campus post-October 7.  Get perspectives from others who were on campuses during past conflicts, information on what to expect to campus now, a clear explanation of where support is available, and some practical skills in de-escalation, personal safety, and mental health care.

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Registrations are essential. Go to https://csgvic.link/uni-ready  to register.

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For more information go to https://csgvic.com/au/uniready2024.

Community Update

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CSG Victoria is aware of the assault that took place on a Jewish male in Brighton this morning 1st January 2024.

 

CSG has been in direct contact with Victoria Police this morning who have advised CSG that the attack is not likely to have been racially motivated in any way.

 

As always, we encourage the community to access important information from trusted sources, including CSG Victoria and Victoria Police, and to refrain from sharing details of incidents in social forums, including private group chats.  As we have seen in recent weeks, this causes unnecessary fear and often leads to the spread of incorrect information. 

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We urge community to continue observing the following security advice:

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- Exercise increased vigilance and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

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- In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.  Then contact CSG Victoria using the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP) or by calling the 24/7 Emergency Hotline eon 1300 000 274.
 

- If you are involved in or witness first-hand any antisemitic or suspicious activity report it to CSG Victoria and Victoria Police.

COMMUNITY STATEMENT

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CSG Victoria is aware of a police operation that occurred on Carlisle Street, Balaclava this afternoon, Wednesday 22 November 2023.

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Victoria Police has advised CSG that this was a criminal matter and is not connected to the Jewish Community in any way.

CSG Victoria is aware of an incident that took place this morning in Bentleigh, involving a community member. 

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Victoria Police attended.  CSG Victoria Response Team was immediately dispatched to the incident and to synagogues across community for additional support.

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The Police investigation is ongoing.  It is important that any unverified information is not shared around community, while we work with Victoria Police to verify the facts.  We understand that this process can take some time.

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We will provide further information as soon as it comes to hand.

On Saturday 7 October 2023 our environment changed. Escalations in Israel are almost always accompanied by a predictable uptick in antisemitism globally. Unfortunately, this conflict has triggered the most significant increase in antisemitism against our community in Victoria in decades.  

 

CSG Victoria has appropriately scaled up its security operations, so our community can continue its Jewish Way of Life.  

 

Ongoing security operations include increased coverage at community facilities and mobile patrols throughout the community. We have welcomed back over 130 former volunteers to bolster our capability. Our volunteers have spent thousands of hours protecting the community across dozens of unique events and our usual operations. We have also trained hundreds more community members to provide additional security at their schools, synagogues, and community organisations.  

 

We have debriefed more than 355 reports of antisemitism and suspicious behaviour from community (not including online rhetoric). CSG Victoria’s highly trained 24/7 response team is active, to attend to incidents and suspicious activity. Victoria Police has also announced that it has significantly expanded its coverage across the community. 

 

In addition, we recognise that as our security landscape continues to evolve, it is paramount that our community remains well-informed, as this empowers each of us to make educated decisions about our own personal safety and that of our families.  

 

Time-critical information will continue to be disseminated via the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP). We urge everyone to ensure they have downloaded the app, registered, and enabled notifications. We continuously work to upgrade and improve JEAP, so that it can remain the reliable and trusted source of security information for our community.  

 

More general updates and security advice will also be available on our social media, and we encourage everyone to follow us on the various platforms to ensure you see these updates. All our communications are also available on our website, including an archive of past JEAP broadcasts. These can be found at www.csgvic.com.au/jeap-communications. 

 

As always, we encourage the community to access important information from trusted sources, including CSG Victoria and Victoria Police, and to refrain from sharing details of incidents in social forums, including private group chats. As we have seen in recent weeks, this causes unnecessary fear and often leads to the spread of incorrect information. 

 

Shabbat Shalom 

CSG Victoria is aware of an alleged incident that occurred at a kosher restaurant in Caulfield South this evening (12 Nov 2023). Having spoken to the alleged victim, this appears to have been a minor disturbance and not racially motivated in any way. Victoria Police quickly intervened. 
 

CSG Victoria is also aware of the alleged incident involving a group of individuals in Caulfield North that occurred last night (11 Nov 2023). CSG has been in contact with the alleged victim and the police investigation remains ongoing.  
 

CSG Victoria will communicate any information that is vital to the safety and security of our community via our social media and JEAP. 
 

We once again ask that our community refrain from sharing details of alleged incidents on social forums, including in private group chats. The sharing of details relating to alleged incidents continues to cause unnecessary fear in our community, and often leads to the spread of incorrect information. 
 

We urge community to continue observing the following security advice: 
 

• Exercise increased vigilance and be aware of your surroundings at all times.  

• In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Then contact CSG Victoria using the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP) or by calling the 24/7 Emergency Hotline on 1300 000 274.  

• If you are involved in or witness first-hand any antisemitic or suspicious activity report it to CSG Victoria and Victoria Police. 

CSG Victoria is aware of rumours circulating about a planned Pro-Palestinian rally tonight, Saturday 11 November 2023, in Caulfield. 

 

No protest has been confirmed at this time. 

 

Today CSG Victoria met with the Victorian Premier and Victoria Police senior leadership, who have increased their presence in and around the community. They have assured us that should a rally go ahead, it will be appropriately policed. 

 

We reiterate that CSG Victoria has substantially bolstered its operations across the community, including mobile patrols and static protection. 

 

We are continuing to monitor the situation. 

As many in our community are aware, we are currently facing an increase in antisemitism globally. This is understandably very confronting.  
 

Since 7 October 2023, CSG Victoria has increased its operations in response to the events in Israel, and the anticipated rise of antisemitism here at home.  

CSG Victoria continues to work tirelessly to protect our Jewish Way of Life. We are responding to and investigating all reports of antisemitism in Victoria, together with Victoria Police. We reassure you that any important information will be swiftly communicated to the community via the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP).  
 

We thank our community for their increased vigilance and prompt reporting. We encourage everyone to continue observing the security advice, which remains unchanged: 

• Exercise increased vigilance and be aware of your surroundings at all times. 

• In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Then contact CSG Victoria using the Jewish Emergency App (JEAP) or by calling the 24/7 Emergency Hotline on 1300 000 274. 

• If you are involved in or witness first-hand any antisemitic or suspicious activity report it to CSG Victoria and Victoria Police.  

• Refrain from circulating details of incidents on social forums to avoid spreading incorrect information and creating unnecessary fear. 

Mental health support is available within the community for those who need it. To learn more about this and to make enquiries, please go to jccm.org.au/psychological-support. 

CSG Victoria is aware that Israel’s National Security Council has made a general recommendation to Israelis abroad to be alert today, 13 October 2023, and to consult with ‘local security forces’. 
 

There is no current information to suggest a direct threat to the local Jewish Community, generally or at community gatherings.  
 

At this stage we can provide reassurances that: 

CSG Victoria is continuing to work alongside Community Leadership, Victoria Police and Government, for the safety and security of our community, to protect Jewish Way of Life. 
 

There has been a significant increase in CSG Victoria and Victoria Police presence across the community since Saturday.  
 

CSG Victoria and Victoria Police have been heavily involved in the planning and preparation of the ‘United with Israel’ event today.  
 

We are out in numbers today, both at the event and around the community, and will continue to be over the coming days. Security presence over Shabbat has been significantly bolstered.  
 

An increase in antisemitism has been anticipated. We are prepared and are responding to every reported incident.  
 

We ask that community continue to follow the security advice: 

Be aware of your surroundings, 

Remain vigilant, and  

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) first. Report any suspicious activity to CSG Victoria via the JEAP app or by calling the 24/7 Emergency Hotline on 1300 000 274.  
 

Updates will continue to be provided via the JEAP app.