Hatikvah Australia: Finding Our Voice, Building Our Home

• 

  Leon Orbach

• 

  Nirit Eylon

Leon Orbach – Board member  Nirit Eylon – President

This week marks the official launch of Hatikvah Australia. For us, it is much more than the launch of another organisation. It is the culmination of a journey that began several years ago, when two communities discovered just how much they had in common.

Both of us lived in Israel, and although Australia has long been our home, our connection to Israel has never faded. Yet for years, the Israeli community here and the broader Australian Jewish community seemed to live largely parallel lives.

Then something changed.

When the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms threatened the country's democratic foundations, Israelis around the world felt they could no longer remain silent. Here in Melbourne, Israelis began gathering in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands protesting in Israel.

And Australian Jews joined them.

For us, it was a remarkable moment. People from different backgrounds and generations, Israelis and Australian Jews, stood together because we shared something fundamental: a deep love for Israel and a determination to protect its democracy, diversity and founding values.

The boundaries between our communities began to dissolve. Conversations started, friendships formed, and a genuine sense of partnership emerged.

Then came October 7.

Everything changed, again.

For two years, we stood together in the sunshine and the rain, calling for the return of the hostages, supporting devastated communities and helping Israel heal. We witnessed extraordinary generosity, compassion and determination. We also discovered just how powerful our community could be when we worked together.

Through all of this, one question kept returning: Who speaks for us?

We loved Israel, but that did not mean agreeing with every decision of its government. We believed in Zionism, but a Zionism rooted in democracy, equality, pluralism and the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence. We wanted a strong, secure Israel, and one that reflected the best of what the Jewish state was created to be.

And we wanted that voice to be heard, both here in Australia and in Israel.

The 2025 World Zionist Congress elections gave us an opportunity to turn those convictions into action. Progressive Zionist organisations came together, and the progressive bloc secured six of Australia's thirteen delegate positions. It was a powerful reminder that our voice was not marginal. It represented a significant part of our community.

But representation at a congress was never going to be enough.

We needed something lasting. A place where progressive Zionists could belong, where Israeli Australians could feel at home within the wider Jewish community, and where our children could explore their Jewish and Israeli identities with openness and pride.

That is how Hatikvah Australia came to life.

Today, that vision is taking shape through three connected initiatives: Hatikvah, our progressive Zionist voice; Bet Tarbut, creating a home for young families to connect through Jewish and Israeli culture and ideas; and Shelanu, celebrating secular Jewish and Israeli art and culture and opening it to the wider Australian community.

And even before our official launch, we have been busy. From Shalom Hanoch's concerts in Melbourne and Sydney to our Yom HaZikaron commemoration, the screening of Israel's national October 7 memorial ceremony, and the RISING film screening and panel discussion, we have created opportunities to remember, reflect and connect.

Through Shelanu, we've explored everything from artificial intelligence to dolphin communication, hosted children's performances, art exhibitions and family workshops. And perhaps one of the most heartwarming developments has been our weekly Parliament (Knesset) gatherings, which have become a welcoming home for longstanding members of Melbourne's Israeli community to come together, share experiences, learn and simply enjoy each other's company.

These are very different activities, but they share something important: they bring people together, create connections and build a sense of belonging.

None of this has happened with large budgets or elaborate infrastructure. It has happened because people believed in the idea and were prepared to give their time, energy and hearts to make it real.

We are proud of what we have built, but even more excited about what lies ahead.

We are here to create a safe and welcoming place for people who care about Israel. People who are willing to ask difficult questions. People who love Israel while believing it can do better. A place where people can come together, feel heard and know they belong.

Hatikvah means hope. And hope, to us, is not simply waiting for things to improve. It is choosing to do something about them, together.

This week, we officially begin that next chapter.

We hope you'll be part of it.

Nirit Eylon & Leon Orbach