MELBOURNE (EJP)—Today, more than 30,000 Jews in Australia are Russian-speaking within a Jewish population of around 120,000. Half of the Jewish community of Melbourne is comprised of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Between 1900-1904 the founders of the Zionist organization in Australia were Jewish émigrés from the Russian empire.
In order to strengthen the connection between Australia and Israel and to support the Jewish State in all areas, Russian-speaking Jews in Melbourne held this week the opening ceremony of the Australian Forum of Russian-speaking Jewry, branch of the World Forum of Russian-speaking Jewry (WFRJ) led by its President Alexander Levin.
‘’Amongst the global Jewish community, Russian-speaking Jews are the strongest pro-Israel force today,’’ said Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in a special address to the community via teleconference.
Physics Prof. Alexander Taube, who was nominated president of the Australian Forum of Russian-speaking Jewry, said in his address : ” Now as Israel is getting bombarded by rockets from Gaza terrorists, Russian-speaking Australian Jews are voicing their full solidarity with the Jewish State and are calling on the government of Australia to do its utmost to support Israel in the international stage.”