Can Political Change Happen Without the Young?

Nirit Eylon, Hatikvah President

Last month, I attended the UPZ Europe conference in Budapest and Vienna. As a partner organisation of UPZ, Hatikvah was proud to participate alongside progressive Zionist leaders and activists from across Europe and beyond.

I expected to learn about Jewish communities, Zionism, and the challenges facing Jewish life in Europe. I did not expect to come home thinking about democracy, political engagement, and the role of young people in shaping the future.

The most fascinating conversations took place in Budapest, where we heard firsthand from young Hungarian Jewish leaders about the political transformation currently underway in their country.

I asked a simple question: if you grew up in a system where democratic institutions had gradually weakened, where government narratives dominated public discourse, and where many people simply accepted that nothing could change, what made you realise there was another path?  

What surprised me was that, until only a year and a half ago, Hungarian youth were not particularly different from young people in Australia, Israel, or much of the Western world. Many were disengaged from politics. Some were frustrated by it. Others simply felt that politics had little relevance to their daily lives.

Then something changed.

Hungary's fragmented opposition made a strategic decision to unite behind a single leader, Péter Magyar. Rather than competing with one another, opposition parties recognised that meaningful change required cooperation and a shared purpose.

Equally important was the way Magyar communicated.

Instead of long speeches and complicated political messaging, he spoke directly to young people through TikTok. Short, clear messages. Calls to action. Language that felt authentic and accessible. For many young Hungarians, politics suddenly became something they could participate in rather than simply observe.

During a panel discussion, I asked several of the young leaders what had motivated them to get involved.

Their answer stayed with me.

They spoke about the values they learned at home and through their youth movement - Hashomer Hatzair. Those values gave them a framework for understanding the gap between the society they wanted and the reality they were experiencing. But values alone were not enough. The real shift happened when young people started talking to one another, comparing experiences, challenging assumptions, and discovering that many shared the same concerns and hopes for the future.

Listening to them, I found myself wondering about Australia and Israel.

In both countries, many young people care deeply about social issues, yet often remain disconnected from politics itself. We frequently hear concerns about polarisation, cynicism, and declining trust in institutions. But if Hungary's experience teaches us anything, it is that change is unlikely to happen without the active participation of younger generations.

Democracy is not something that runs on autopilot.

The future is shaped by those who choose to engage.

Vienna offered a different but equally interesting lesson.

Today, only around 10,000 to 12,000 Jews remain in Vienna, a fraction of the community that once flourished there. Yet strong laws and clear boundaries around hate speech have helped keep antisemitism far more constrained than in many other parts of Europe.

What particularly impressed me was the strength and confidence of the Jewish student movement. Their leaders described an unusual political reality. While Jewish communities in many countries often feel isolated from progressive movements, Austrian Jewish students have built strong relationships with elements of the political left, particularly the Greens.

They explained that these groups are able to hold two positions simultaneously: they openly criticise policies of the Israeli government while firmly defending Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. They also played a leading role in public campaigns opposing antisemitism during the recent Eurovision controversy, pushing back against attempts to exclude Israel from participation.

Both Budapest and Vienna left me with the same conclusion.

Healthy democracies do not survive by accident. Neither do vibrant Jewish communities.

They require people who are willing to participate, take responsibility, and engage with the world around them.

Most importantly, they require young people who believe that the future is worth showing up for.

The lesson from Budapest was clear: meaningful change happens when people choose to participate.

At Hatikvah Australia, we are committed to amplifying the voices of young people and creating space for the next generation of Jewish and Zionist leaders.

The conversations we heard in Hungary reminded us that the future is not something that simply happens to us. It is something we create together.

We want to hear your ideas, your aspirations, and your vision for the future of our community.

What kind of Australian Jewish and Zionist community do you want to see in ten years' time?

Join the conversation. Together, we can shape the future we want to inherit.