In the early hours of Thursday morning, Mount Sinai College in Maroubra, a prominent Jewish school in Sydney, became the latest target of an antisemitic attack. The school’s walls were vandalized with hateful graffiti, alongside a neighboring home, which was similarly defaced with antisemitic slurs. The attack occurred just metres away from the site of a recent firebombing at the Only About Children childcare centre, and a day after police investigations into a caravan reportedly containing explosives and the address of a Sydney synagogue.
The latest incident is part of a worrying pattern of escalating hate crimes against the Jewish community in Sydney. Mount Sinai College swiftly informed parents of the attack, assuring them that additional security measures would be implemented immediately. Despite the attack, children are expected to return to school the following day, but the incident has left the community on edge.
NSW Premier Chris Minns condemned the attack, calling it “utterly appalling and shameful.” He expressed his disgust that a school, a place of learning and safety, had been targeted in such a despicable manner. “It tells you everything you need to know about how appalling these bastards are that they would rip apart a school, on one of the first days of school, with a racist, antisemitic attack,” Minns stated. “There are some terrible people in our community… but Australians stand united against this appalling racism. Most Australians from every background regard this kind of hate-filled activity as the opposite of what it means to live in our country, in our community, in Australia 2025.”
Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip also condemned the attack, calling it “grotesque.” Ossip emphasized that antisemitic perpetrators were targeting not just Jewish institutions, but the very foundation of Australian society. “Whether it’s a daycare centre or a school, these depraved individuals will leave no target untouched in their determination to intimidate and menace the Jewish community,” he said. “These hate-filled individuals are determined to destroy the peaceful and harmonious way of life that Australians have treasured for so long.”
The attack has prompted calls for greater security measures across Jewish institutions in Sydney. Shadow Minister for Education Senator Sarah Henderson voiced her support for around-the-clock NSW police patrols of Jewish schools and childcare centres until the threat has subsided. “I support the call by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies for around-the-clock NSW police patrols of Jewish pre-schools and schools in Sydney,” Henderson stated. “Every child attending a childcare centre, school, or university deserves to be safe.”
Additionally, Henderson has taken action to secure immediate support for Mount Sinai College. After speaking with a representative from the school, she made representations to the Secretary of the Federal Department of Education to ensure that counselling and other support would be provided to students and staff.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb provided some reassurance, revealing that a separate antisemitic incident in Sydney’s eastern suburbs had been thwarted overnight. “We got called to an incident last night in the east and police responded, PolAir was over the top, and we identified the vehicle and we were able to eliminate because we were there at the spot on time,” Webb said, commending the rapid response of law enforcement.
However, with the recent spate of attacks against Jewish institutions in Sydney, the community is demanding more robust actions to curb this growing threat. The vandalism at Mount Sinai College adds to a disturbing trend of escalating antisemitism, leaving many Jewish Australians feeling unsafe and vulnerable. As authorities and political leaders scramble to respond, the Jewish community remains united in its call for immediate and decisive action to protect its members from further hate-driven violence.