Australia’s Jewish community has expressed disappointment with ABC following the network’s New Year’s Eve coverage, where a large menorah projected on the Sydney Harbour Bridge went unseen by viewers during the fireworks display.
Over 30 cultural figures, including renowned Australian singer Deborah Conway and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Danny Ben-Moshe, advocated for the menorah’s inclusion as a tribute after 15 lives were lost in a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach.
However, when the anticipated moment arrived, viewers were baffled by the absence of the menorah in ABC’s broadcast.
One viewer remarked, “It’s on the pylon – impossible to see and ABC did not show it at all,” while another humorously dubbed it “the invisible menorah.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail on Friday, Mr. Ben-Moshe criticized ABC’s handling of the tribute, suggesting it could have been executed more effectively.
“It was a very touching moment… but I’m still left wondering why there was no camera focused on capturing a clear shot of the menorah,” he commented.
Surely that would be the most obvious and appropriate thing to do?
‘That’s what that minute of silence was about. I don’t think something hateful was at play here, but I am concerned that something unthoughtful was occurring.’
Mr Ben-Moshe said Australia’s Jewish community deserved greater visibility into the planning of the world-famous fireworks display.
An image of a menorah is projected onto the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Year’s Eve to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach attack
Award-winning filmmaker Danny Ben-Moshe said the projection should have been featured better during the coverage of the event by ABC
‘Why wasn’t any further consideration being given to something Jewish coming off the back of that?’ he said.
‘I just think that would be a basic, appropriate thing, and it didn’t happen.
‘Is it symptomatic of this kind of erasure of thinking about Jews and what’s going on with Jews in this country – and I say that as a Jewish creative working in this space since October 7.
‘What I can tell you is, from the many Jews who I’ve interviewed and engaged with in my film for the last year, this is very much a feeling of Jewish voices being silenced and it’s a slightly different, nefarious form of Jew-phobia.
‘I think it’s an opportunity missed. I don’t think it was missed for malicious reasons, but that doesn’t make it unproblematic.’
When asked about criticism of its coverage of the menorah projection, an ABC spokesperson described it as a ‘powerful’ tribute.
‘The Bondi terrorist attack was a shocking and traumatic event for Australia and especially for the Jewish community,’ the spokesperson told Daily Mail.
‘The broadcast included a tribute honouring the victims of the attack that included a projection of the Menorah.
Mr Ben-Moshe ((pictured filming his documentary on anti-Semitism in Australia at the memorial at Bondi Pavilion) said the lack of visibility of the menorah was unthoughtful
‘It was a powerful and emotional moment that clearly captured the community’s support for those affected.
‘As a long-standing partner of the City of Sydney, the ABC was proud to broadcast the New Year’s Eve celebration to audiences in Australia and around the world.’
Another issue raised by signatories of the open letter to include the menorah in the fireworks display was the lack of consultation between the City of Sydney Council and the Jewish community.
Violinist Ben Adler, director of the Australian Jewish Music Festival, told Daily Mail the projection had been done with the ‘best intentions’ but lacked clarity in its execution.
‘I did offer to be consulted with concerning the design,’ he said.
Mr Adler recommended the council use a seven-branch candelabra rather than a nine-branch one as it is ‘more widely seen’.
Violinist Ben Adler (pictured) offered to consult City of Sydney Council on the projection but said he was told there was no time to do it
He claims he received no reply to his offer until the day of the event, which informed him it was too late for consultation.
‘It’s common practice for cultural minorities to be consulted whenever mainstream or global bodies, present their culture – be those bodies Lord Mayor’s office, City Council, state government, or the ABC; it doesn’t really matter,’ Mr Adler said.
‘But there was no immediate presumption that we’d be consulted.
‘We don’t seek special treatment or preferential treatment. What we seek is just to be treated the same as any other minority in the country.
‘The Bondi attack is our story. It’s part of the Jewish community of Australia’s story. It’s not just part of Australia’s story.
‘It was clearly an attack against us, and it’s our story to be told, and so it should be told with our symbol. That was the logic of (our) letter.
‘But I am grateful that the symbol was included, recognising that there was very little time and there was an eleventh hour decision.’
Mr Ben-Moshe was one of more than 30 cultural leaders who campaigned for a visual tribute
He said that, in the future, Jewish community and creative leaders would love to develop the relationship they have with the City of Sydney Council and the ABC, and ‘encourage consultation on our symbols and our stories’.
A City of Sydney spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘The Moment of Unity was an incredible display of harmony and togetherness.
‘To hear only silence and see only a sea of white lights across the harbour, made for a particularly special and respectful moment.
‘As the harbour glowed white, a menorah was projected onto the four sandstone Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons as crowds marked a moving minute’s silence for the victims of the Bondi terror attack.’
