1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Billy and Bridge Rich You're on news Talk z eb 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: It's nine minutes after four. Police have been patrolling outside 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: Jewish synagogues and events here in New Zealand after what's 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: happened in Sydney. Same thing happening around the world right now, London, 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: Berlin and New York. It is, of course the start 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: of Honkkh. Deborah Hart is the chair of the Holocaust 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: Center in New Zealand and joins me now, Deborah, good afternoon, Cia. 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: How are you doing. How is the Jewish community in 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: New Zealand doing after this? 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 2: Well, we are reeling. Our hearts are truly broken. We 11 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: hold those directly affected in our hearts. But we know 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 2: that we have to be resilient and we have to 13 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 2: go on. And we you know, we've only had the 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: first night of Hanekah, and Honakh is the festival that 15 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 2: has carried us through centuries of persecution. The ancient promised 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 2: that light and jaws even when we're met with brutal violence. 17 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 2: So it's ironic that this has come at the time 18 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: of Huniker. 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: It's awful for everyone there, isn't it? And for you here? 20 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: So what are people? How do you normally celebrate Hannaker 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: in New Zealand. Do we have public events. 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: Like this, Well, most Jewish people will be celebrating the 23 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: eight days of Huneker. Each day we light another candle 24 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: for Hunnakah, and Jewish people around the world will be 25 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 2: doing exactly that. We used to hold regular public events 26 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 2: so that everyone could join us and what is a 27 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: really joyous festival. But you know, we stopped doing that 28 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: because it just wasn't safe here to do it. Indeed, 29 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: I used to MC many of the events and Wellington 30 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: and I remember the last time I did it, which 31 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 2: was a few years back now, thinking oh, I don't 32 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: quite feel safe, but I'm going to do it anyway. 33 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: But we have. 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 2: Mostly taken the event behind closed doors and behind guards 35 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: and big fences because it's just not safe to do 36 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: it in any other way. 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: Debraah, are things getting how much? I mean, we know 38 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: things have been getting worse, but how much of you know, 39 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: There's always been this awful baseline anti Semitic attitude, and 40 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: you know, the neo Nazi stuff like that, and now 41 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: you've got after the war and Garza and you know 42 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: Netnya who he's made some enemies, and so Jewish people 43 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: are copying it. How much worse has it got as 44 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: a result of that? And is there anything you know? 45 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: Are all of our leaders, all of our politicians, are 46 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: they making the situation better or worse? 47 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: Well? The first thing to say is it doesn't matter 48 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 2: what is happening half a world away, anti Semitism here 49 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: in New Zealand, is or anywhere is completely unacceptable. It 50 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: has become quite rampant. It should alarm every listener that 51 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 2: Jewish children in our own country are being assaulted in school, 52 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: They're being threatened, that they have to hide Jewish sites vandalized. 53 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: We get threats in broad daylight. We have the government 54 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: here in New Zealand has been really good in trying 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: to safeguard the Jewish community, and the police and the 56 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 2: security services have been really really good as well. I 57 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: have to say though, it is saddening when you have 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: the likes of the co leader of the Green Party, 59 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: Chloe Swolbrook, happy to go to pro Palestinian rallies and 60 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: side by side with signs reading globalize the into Farder. 61 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 2: That is not a call for peaceful resistance the farder. 62 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: Globalizing the into Farder is what we have seen in Sydney. 63 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 2: It is violence on a global scale against Jewish people, 64 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 2: and I think it's time for our leaders to take 65 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: pause and think about what it is that they are 66 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 2: standing for in standing with Do you think. 67 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: They people like Chloe actually understand what they're saying. 68 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 2: I would hope not, but you know, these are intelligent people, 69 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 2: and look, it's time for introspection and to think what 70 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 2: can I do differently and what can I do better? 71 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 2: And am I doing something that endangers other people? And 72 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 2: you know, these kinds of messages are heard by some 73 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 2: people as a call to violence, and that is clearly 74 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: what we have seen in Sydney and what we fear 75 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 2: could happen here in New Zealand. 76 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: Debra, I really appreciate you talking to me today. Thank 77 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: you for that and all the best for the rest 78 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: of your hunekhah. That is Debrah Hart Holocaust Center Chare 79 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: in New Zealand. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, 80 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: listen live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 81 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.