Pollies’ Pesach greetings
PM Morrison: 'We are distancing from each other this year, so that next year and beyond, all our family members can gather and share the seder together'.
Scott Morrison
Prime Minister
PASSOVER is a time when we remember the journey of the Jewish people. A journey from slavery to freedom. It is a tradition dating back several millennia that has inspired Jewish communities around the world through the best of times – and the very worst, too.
At a time when we face great challenges, the festival of Passover has special meaning. This year it has a poignancy with many grandparents and grandchildren not able to be with each other for the seder.
We are distancing from each other this year, so that next year and beyond, all our family members can gather and share the seder together.
A Pesach message to the community from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
פורסם על ידי The Australian Jewish News ב- יום שבת, 11 באפריל 2020
This global health crisis that we face is a once-in-one-hundred-year event. It requires all of us, no matter what our faith, to do our duty as citizens.
All of us have a role to play in keeping our community safe: employers, nurses, doctors, teachers, scientists, friends, family and neighbours.
The Jewish people have shown they can endure the most trying of circumstances, and such resilience gives me great confidence that our nation will also get through this.
We have a long way to go but we are an incredible country, and we are working together with an unparalleled sense of purpose, unity and cooperation.
The former chief rabbi of the Commonwealth, Jonathan Sacks, once said: “We can face any future without fear so long as we know we will not face it alone.”
Faith teaches us that we can be together in spirit, even if we are physically apart.
So I thank the Jewish community for all you give to Australia – this special place we call home.
In keeping with your seder message, my prayer for my Jewish friends, is that our time of affliction will pass, and next year may we be free.
May each of you be strengthened in our shared journey ahead.
Chag Pesach sameach.
Anthony Albanese
Opposition Leader
IT is with the greatest pleasure that I offer you the traditional greeting that has resounded through the centuries: Chag Pesach Sameach.
Passover is one of the great stories of Jewish triumph over adversity.
Indeed, the story of Moses leading the Jews out of slavery and into 40 years of wandering before coming to the Promised Land is part of our cultural bedrock.
This year, many of the traditions of Passover will be observed much as they have been for generations, not least the matzah and the wine.
Unfortunately, due to the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cherished tradition of the big family meal around the seder table will not be possible for many people this year.
However this is just a pause, not a full stop – one more adversity that will be overcome.
While families will find many ways to overcome physical separation at Passover this year, I have every confidence that you and your loved ones will be gathered back around the table next year.
On behalf of the Labor Party, chag kasher v’sameach.
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW Premier
I WOULD like to wish chag sameach to all Jewish Australians commemorating Passover, or Pesach, in NSW.
The themes of Pesach are particularly relevant as our community works together to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Pesach is a celebration of triumph over hardship, reflecting the resilience which has sustained the Jewish people throughout history. We can all draw hope and inspiration from the events of those distant times.
As Premier, I am proud of our harmonious multicultural society in NSW. I would like to thank the Jewish community for their commitment to this social cohesion and for their significant contributions to our state.
I wish everyone a happy and peaceful Pesach.
While the occasion will be marked very differently this year, I know the Jewish community will come together as never before.
Daniel Andrews
Victorian Premier
WITH Pesach approaching, I would like to send my very best wishes to the Victorian Jewish community.
Pesach is a time for us to remember the power of hope – and perseverance. In these unprecedented times, this reflection is perhaps more important than ever before.
I know this is traditionally a time for family and friends to come together in each other’s homes. The unfortunate reality is that this year must be different.
Instead, we are all being asked to have quieter, smaller, but no less joyous celebrations within the confines of our own homes.
Although separated by physical distance, I know Jewish Victorians will remain united in their faith, their service to each other and in their sense of community.
As you do, please know you are making a very real difference in ensuring the safety of our state – and saving lives.
I hope this Pesach brings you, and your loved ones, happiness and health.
Chag Pesach Sameach.
Jodi McKay
NSW Opposition Leader
I SEND my best wishes to Jewish Australians across Australia and to Jewish communities around the world as they prepare to mark Pesach, or Passover.
This is an important celebration for Jews everywhere. It is a celebration of the freedom of the Jewish people from persecution, a time for families and friends to gather together, a time for renewing and strengthening thousand year old traditions and a time to pass them down to the next generation of Jewish Australians.
This year’s Pesach celebrations will not be an easy time for Jewish Australians or for Jews around the world. Many families that were looking forward to sitting down with one another at the seder table must now stay apart. Many grandparents will not have the pleasure of being with their grandchildren over Pesach, and many Jewish Australians will be concerned for the health and wellbeing of family members and friends in Australia and all over the world.
This is also a time where many people across our state and our nation are worried about their jobs, their businesses, and what the future holds for them and their families.
The Jewish people have marked Pesach for thousands of years, in both good times and bad. This Pesach will be a hard one for many, but Jewish Australians all across our country will still celebrate Pesach even though family members and friends may not be at the seder table this year. They will look forward to the future holy days of celebration where friends and family can once again feast together.
Chag Pesach sameach!
Michael O’Brien
Victorian Opposition Leader
IT is my great pleasure to send my warmest wishes to Victoria’s Jewish community for the festival of Passover 2020.
As one of the most important religious celebrations on the Jewish calendar, Passover represents the great joy and optimism of the Jewish community and is a cherished time to spend with loved ones in the spirit of reflection and celebration of your community’s time-honoured faith traditions.
It is testament to the strength and resilience of the Jewish people throughout the world that, through your energy and dedication to upholding the rich traditions of your faith, you demonstrate your commitment and can-do attitude.
This year, Passover is celebrated in very different and challenging times. We remain strengthened however by Passover’s enduring message that with hope, faith and courage we can overcome everything.
Victoria’s Jewish community greatly enriches our state’s diverse, multi-faith society and on behalf of the Liberal Nationals, I wish you a peaceful and joyous celebration.
Thank you and chag Pesach sameach!
Alan Tudge
Federal Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs
PASSOVER is a time when Australians of the Jewish faith join millions of people around the world to retell one of the greatest stories of liberation. It is a story of faith and courage – a story that continues to inspire Jewish people and instil hope in the face of adversity.
Obviously, this year Passover celebrations will be very different, with coronavirus forcing restrictions on public and private gatherings and places of worships.
In the past few months, Australians have endured many challenges – droughts, bushfires and now, an unprecedented global health crisis.
During these difficult times, Australians of all faiths and backgrounds have time and time again come together to support each other.
The Passover messages of hope and new life and the importance of a fresh start can be sources of comfort for all of us at this time.
I take this opportunity to thank the Jewish community in Australia for your continued contribution to our nation in every aspect of community life. I wish you all the best as you mark and remember Passover.
Chag Pesach Sameach.
comments