It was quite fitting in the lead up to the 2022 UN Day Against Genocide and the UN Day of Human Rights, that members of the Jewish community joined in appropriate events of solidarity with our First Nations Peoples to commemorate the brave action of Aboriginal leader, William Cooper, who on 6 December 1938, delivered a letter to the German Consulate in Melbourne, condemning the cruel persecution of the Jewish people in Germany.
Group of Aboriginal and Jewish marchers. Photo by John Janson-Moore D.C.A.
Saturday 10 December 2022 was the anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The theme was Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All.
An Aboriginal group of family members of the late William Cooper, then marched in solidarity with their Jewish friends from the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern to Carriageworks and then to the Newtown Synagogue. Amongst the family marchers was a Yorta Yorta man from Central Coast NSW, Michael McDonogh, Bruce Shillingsworth Jnr, and Aunty Taressa, a Gadigal woman of the Eora Nation from La Perouse.
Along the way a moving Jewish Acknowledgement to Country was recited by Rabbi Mendel Kastel of Together For Humanity, and then Alan O’Brien, great, great, great, grandson of William Cooper – played a powerful musical piece on the didj.
Everyone then walked on to the Newtown Synagogue, where they were warmly welcomed by Rabbi Eli Feldman, Chief Minister of Newtown Synagogue, together with his wife Rebbetzin Elke Feldman, and a gathering of the Synagogue community.
Michael McDonogh holding a plaque of William Cooper. Photo by John Janson-Moore D.C.A.
Once inside the synagogue the Friday evening Sabbath prayers and songs began. The Jewish and Aboriginal women enjoyed the candle lighting ceremony.
Rabbi Feldman said, “It is an honour and privilege to host members of the indigenous community to our Shul. It is particularly moving to welcome descendants of William Cooper, who in 1938 was a lone voice in the wilderness standing up for the Jewish people when very few others would. We will always appreciate William Cooper’s genuine care and friendship.”
He further added: “The Indigenous community stood with us in our most difficult times. The Jewish community are proud to stand with the Indigenous communities in their struggle to right the wrongs of history and ensure recognition, justice and equality for First Nations peoples in this country.”
His sermon was followed by a traditional Sabbath dinner prepared by the volunteer Synagogue cooking crew. It was an evening of riveting story sharing, kicked off by Mr Eddy Neumann, the son of Holocaust survivors, and an Anti-Discrimination, Indigenous Law and Native Title Lawyer.
He shared his long history of standing up for the rights of our Indigenous people. He also shared that he was the Foundation Secretary of the (ALS) Aboriginal Legal Service Council in NSW – this was a voluntary group of leading QC’s and Professors at Sydney University involved with the 1967 referendum who worked to defend the rights of Aboriginal people.
It was the first free legal service in Australia, a pro bono service that depended on donations from academics to establish an office, initially based at Sydney University. This crucial role was being put in place for grass roots Aboriginal leaders to become field officers and to have a base to confront the criminal justice system. Subsequently, Billy Wentworth, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs at the time, arranged for funding to set up the ALS offices that are all around Australia today.
Mr Neumann’s work was gratefully acknowledged by an emotional story sharing from Aunty Teressa, followed by powerful and inspiring stories from Michael McDonogh, Aunty Barbara McDonogh, and Bruce Shillingsworth.
Abe Schwarz, a Melbourne co-organiser, together with Tanya Fox and Ben-Zion Weiss for the evening, said “I was overjoyed to see various elements within the First Nations, Jewish and other communities walk together in the spirit of Solidarity and Mutual Respect.”
As one of the marchers, the writer of this article is proud to point out that the Magen David Adom ambulance service in Israel has as its members both Jews and Arabs who together save lives on a daily basis. Maybe Sydney will follow suite . . . .
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