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MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

PASSOVER

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.

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.

The Hon Scott Morrison MP

Prime Minister of Australia

April 2020