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  • 5 weeks ago
While security has been ramped up at Jewish events and buildings since last weekend's massacre - many Jewish Australians say they've felt under threat since the October 7 attacks two years ago. They said their everyday sense of safety has been eroded amid rising antisemitism. One family from Melbourne’s orthodox Chabad community has told Jessica Longbottom how their lives have changed.

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00:00The first time Gabby Silver experienced anti-Semitic hate in Australia, he was walking down the
00:08street just after October 7, 2023.
00:11We had two cars full of people calling us effing Jewish dogs and that they were telling
00:17us they were going to effing kill us all.
00:19That was a moment felt that something had changed.
00:22Since then he says he cops abuse every few weeks.
00:27Any time you walk out of the house you're just on high alert.
00:31He'd never previously felt the need to protect his family but now he's joined a volunteer
00:36group which patrols his children's school alongside armed guards.
00:41On Monday he saw someone on a nearby rooftop.
00:45Spider senses, tingling, ears pricked up, turned out it was just a workman which was fine and
00:50everything was fine but I don't know how many people in Australia have to walk down the street
00:55feeling like that but in our community we do.
00:59Gabby is not alone.
01:00Jewish leaders have long warned their community felt threatened.
01:04Since October 2023 security has been increased around Jewish buildings and since Sunday that's
01:10been upped even further.
01:1278 is available ETA two minutes.
01:17Copy I'm on route.
01:18Gabby is ready for the worst also joining a Jewish emergency medical service this year.
01:24I want to be able to be in control so if something for example like Bondi were to happen
01:29and I'm I'm there I'm able to do something.
01:32I was thinking we'd take this pot over here.
01:34His 14 year old son is especially rattled since Sunday.
01:38Outside the house he's now wearing a hoodie to hide his skull cap.
01:43It's a bit like scary to show your identity because it's more of like a target you know.
01:47It's gut wrenching to think that that we have to take those precautions as Jews.
01:52In Australia it's not it's not the Australia that I grew up in.
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