AUSTRALIA - Greek Choir Opposes Singing with Jewish Group

A choral concert fundraiser for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack at a Jewish event in Sydney has been canceled after local Greek singers opposed singing alongside their Jewish counterparts in the planned joint performance.

In December, Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire along with his father Sajid on a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s ‌Bondi Beach, killing 15 people. Sajid Akram was killed in a confrontation with police during the shooting. Their attack was inspired by the Islamic State terror group, according to police.

Jewish Choral Society chairwoman Anne Spira told members in a letter that the Hellenic Choir would not participate, and the concert was canceled.

“The result is, like many other Jews in the arts since 7 October 2023, we have been canceled,” she told the Australian.

“There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realize the extent of it,” Australian Hellenic Choir president James Tsolakis said. “The Jewish people are all into it, I’m into it, but the Greek choir was a bit anti doing it because of the political climate.”

Despite the setback, organizers say they hope to hold future joint performances, including one proposed for next year in Canberra, supported by the Greek diplomatic community.

Australia’s 120,000-strong Jewish community has been among the hardest hit in the world since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the subsequent war set off a tidal wave of antisemitism across the globe.

-www.timesofisrael.com, 28 April 2026

Commentary: This seems extremely strange, because the concert’s aim was to benefit victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. These singers are Australians of Greek descent, so why oppose singing with Jews?

The Jewish Choral Society chairwoman Anne Spira revealed: “The result is, like many other Jews in the arts since 7 October 2023, we have been canceled.” The Greek singers opposed due to claimed “security risks.”

Asking Google to compare crime rates in Australia with the US, it returns with: “Australia has significantly lower overall crime rate and much lower violent crime rate than the USA. Australia’s homicide rate is dramatically lower, often reported as being 62-6000% less than in the USA, largely due to stricter gun control laws.”

It seems significant that the Jews (Israel) are in conflict with the four Gentile world empires of Rome (Europe), Medo-Persia (Iran), Babylon (Iraq and the wider Arab world), and Greece, “like a leopard.”

When it comes to the New Testament, we read in Acts 11:26b: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

From a global view, you would think that after the terrorist attack by Hamas, murdering civilians in Israel, the world would outright and repeatedly condemn the terrorists. Not so; antisemitism is increasing significantly.

In Australia, terrorists killed 15 Jews who were celebrating “Chanukah by the sea,” murdering innocent civilians ranging from 10 to 87 years old. One would think Australia and the world at large would condemn terrorism; instead, the Jews are blamed. In this case, Greek descendants in Australia refuse to sing at a concert with Jews.

(See Antisemitism in the End Times, Item #2436, $18.99.)