Bondi Beach: When Jewish history repeats itself

Bondi Beach forces our wider society to ask the difficult question. Why are Jewish people not safe? Hanukkah offers a powerful lens through which to do that.

The history of Hanukkah

Hanukkah commemorates events recorded in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, set in the second century BCE. At that time, the Jewish people lived under the rule of the Seleucid Empire, governed by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Antiochus outlawed Jewish religious practices, desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, and attempted to force Jewish people to abandon their faith and identity. This was not merely political control; it was cultural and religious erasure.

Some Jewish people chose to assimilate. They adopted Greek names, customs, clothing, and ways of life to reduce danger and gain acceptance. Others refused. Many were tortured and killed for remaining faithful to their traditions. Eventually, a small group led by Judah Maccabee revolted. Against overwhelming odds, they reclaimed the Temple and restored Jewish worship. Hanukkah celebrates that resistance, not only military victory, but the insistence that Jewish identity should not be erased for the sake of safety.

That tension between safety and visibility did not end in antiquity.

The failure of protection

For centuries, Jewish communities across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond learned the same lesson repeatedly: when Jews relied on others to protect them, protection often failed. Pogroms, expulsions, forced conversions, and ultimately the Holocaust showed that legal rights, neighbourly goodwill, and national belonging could vanish with terrifying speed. Survival often depended on blending in to not being noticed.

This history explains why many Jewish people today do not visibly identify as Jewish. They wear ordinary clothes, avoid drawing attention, and sometimes remain silent about their identity. This is not a lack of pride; it is inherited caution, passed down through generations that learned how quickly safety can evaporate.

By contrast, Orthodox Jewish communities are visibly Jewish through dress, ritual items, and daily practice. Their visibility is a powerful expression of faith but it also makes them more obvious targets. That is why Jewish schools, synagogues, vigils, and community events are often surrounded by security. Organisations such as the Community Security Trust exist not out of suspicion, but out of experience.

Anyone who has attended a Jewish vigil, such as the one at Borehamwood, will notice the number of security volunteers present. It can feel unsettling. Events like Bondi Beach show why. Jewish communities have learned, repeatedly, that threats must be taken seriously.

The State of Israel

This long history also explains why Jewish survival eventually required something more than local vigilance. After centuries of exile and repeated catastrophe, many Jews concluded that ultimate responsibility for Jewish safety could not be outsourced. If protection could not be relied upon elsewhere, then a place was needed where Jews could defend themselves, make decisions about their own security, and ensure refuge for those in danger.

This is why the State of Israel came into being.

Israel was not created because Jews sought power or separation for its own sake. It emerged from the recognition that history had closed off other options. After the Holocaust in particular, the question was no longer “Is a Jewish state ideal?” but “What alternative remains?” A people repeatedly targeted for destruction could not continue to depend solely on the promises of others.

Where to go from here?

Antisemitism is ancient, adaptable, and often denied. It frequently hides behind coded language or is minimised until it turns violent. Because of this, Jewish fear is often misunderstood until history repeats itself yet again.

Hanukkah reminds us that Jewish survival is not new. Jewish people are fighting even today for the freedom to self-identify.

At the same time, it invites local communities, including churches, to stand alongside Jewish neighbours in support and respect. Prayer, genuine friendship, and sharing the hope found in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah who fulfilled the Hebrew Scriptures, can build bridges of understanding and care.