Resilience in the face of adversity
Published in The Australian Jewish News
May 10, 2019
On Sunday evening, I attended Caulfield Shule’s gala dinner at Crown to report on the celebration of their 75th anniversary, and Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israel’s 71st birthday.
A most civilised affair, men came in fine suits, and women in (black) dresses. They sipped their wine and sampled the offering of canapés while shmoozing to the smooth sound of live jazz.
We move into the Palladium. Speeches begin, courses are served.
In the break after the main, I leave my seat to mingle when I get talking to the keynote speaker, former federal Liberal leader and director of the Australian War Memorial, Brendan Nelson.
“Of all the groups of people that form humankind, none, in my opinion have suffered more, nor given as much to the ennoblement of humanity as the Jewish community,” he says to me as he looks out from beneath a furrowed brow.
“But Israel represents essentially what is a hope and belief in all of us … It is a democracy in a region dominated by theocracies and autocracies, and shows resilience in the face of extraordinary adversity – born of course, out of the most heinous event in human history.”
As we speak, I feel my phone buzz between my hands.
We finish our conversation, when it immediately buzzes again, and lights up with a notification.
Buzz. Another notification.
It’s the Red Alert app – buzz – and each – buzz – is another – buzz – rocket attack on Israel.
I look down at the screen of my phone.
“Rockets attack: Ashkelon, Beer Ganim”.
“Rockets attack: Zikim, Carmia”.
“Rockets attack: Kerem Shalom”.
Over the following hour, my phone continues to buzz incessantly, at least 200 times.
There, against the grandeur of sparkling chandeliers and silk-covered chairs, the hum of enquiring waiters and polite conversations, rockets rain upon the very country for which we have gathered to celebrate. Again, a threat to our very existence.