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A benefit concert in Sydney, Australia, for victims of the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre was canceled after a Greek choir refused to perform alongside a Jewish ensemble.
Members of the Greek choir cited political objections, and some said they did not feel safe sharing the stage.
The “Concert for Hope and Unity,” supported by the Australian government, aimed to raise funds for victims of the December attack, which killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Organizers planned a joint performance by the Australian Hellenic Choir and the Sydney Jewish Choral Society.
A majority of the 50-member Australian Hellenic Choir voted against the joint performance. As a result, the decision reversed a collaboration that took place without issue in 2022.
James Tsolakis, the choir’s founder and president, said the decision reflected a shift in attitudes tied to reactions to the war in Gaza. He also acknowledged antisemitic sentiment within parts of his community. “There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realize the extent of it,” he said.
The Sydney Jewish Choral Society has filed a formal complaint with the government’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
In a letter to members, chair Anne Spira said the incident was part of a broader pattern. “We have been canceled,” she said. She added that Jewish artists have increasingly been “de-platformed” since the October 7th attacks in Israel two and a half years ago.
The program was set to include “The Ballad of Mauthausen,” a work highlighting shared Greek and Jewish history during the Holocaust.
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