<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://analytics.twitter.com/i/adsct?txn_id=o9hpk&amp;p_id=Twitter&amp;tw_sale_amount=0&amp;tw_order_quantity=0"> <img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="//t.co/i/adsct?txn_id=o9hpk&amp;p_id=Twitter&amp;tw_sale_amount=0&amp;tw_order_quantity=0">
2026

Event Program

Sydney, NSW

Pre-summit

Wednesday 25 November

6:30pm Welcome

Welcome gathering

Informal drinks for delegates arriving from interstate, alongside the first responders and surf lifesavers who were at Bondi Beach on the day of the attack. An opportunity to hear from them directly, and to hear about a national community initiative now taking shape. Registration desk open.

Day one

Thursday 26 November

From awareness to action.

Welcome

8:45am Opening

Welcome to Country, opening remarks and official opening

Our hosts, the Australian Advisory Committee and the New South Wales Government open the Summit, with messages from federal leaders in Canberra.

Panelists

  • Cr Steven Lewis
    Cr Steven LewisMayor of Waverley (co-host)
  • David Gonski AC
    David Gonski ACChair, Australian Advisory Committee

Local government on the front line

10:00am Plenary

Opening plenary — The State of Antisemitism in 2026

The national and global picture, the data behind it, and how hate escalates across every form.

Panelists

  • Alex Ryvchin
    Alex RyvchinCo-CEO, Executive Council of Australian Jewry
10:20am Keynote

Keynote — When hatred becomes local: what does a mayor actually do?

Two mayors who have led their communities through real tension, on public space, protest, intimidation and civic leadership under pressure.

Panelists

  • Mayor Darcy Byrne
    Mayor Darcy ByrneInner West Council, NSW
  • Mayor Cr Dr Simone Zmood
    Mayor Cr Dr Simone ZmoodGlen Eira City Council, VIC

The government response

11:15am Panel

Panel — Law enforcement, community protection and foreign interference

Police, community security organisations and Commonwealth agencies on who does what when hate reaches a community, and how councils fit in.

12:05pm Break

Networking lunch

Research and dialogue

1:00pm Research

Research spotlight — Strong Cities

New university findings on what local government needs to build cohesion.

Panelists

  • A/Prof Julian Droogan
    A/Prof Julian DrooganProfessor in International Security and Terrorism Studies, Macquarie University
1:30pm Talk

In conversation — Ahmed Hassan OAM and Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann

A decade of Jewish–Muslim dialogue: two leaders who kept talking through the hardest years, on how it is done.

Panelists

  • Ahmed Hassan OAM
    Ahmed Hassan OAMCommunity leader and youth advocate
  • Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann
    Rabbi Gabi KaltmannARK Centre

Action

2:45pm Workshops

Breakout workshops

Choose your track. Every council leaves having named what it will start, what it will change, and what it will take back to its own chamber.

Panelists

  • Cr Will Nemesh
    Cr Will NemeshFormer Mayor of Waverley

  1. When supporting the Jewish community comes at a cost

    What it costs to show moral leadership, and what it can cost you personally and professionally. Three speakers from very different backgrounds on the risks they have taken and what they would tell others weighing up the same decision.

    Panelists

    • Basim Shamaon
      Basim ShamaonCommunity advocate
    • Ryan Morris
      Ryan MorrisCouncillor, Wollongong City Council
    • Lorin MuhlmannModerator, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

  2. Creating safe online communities

    The online world as both a source of harm and a place where community gets built. A session on the risks, what platforms do and don’t do about them, and how councils and community organisations can create spaces that hold together.

    Panelists

    • Andre Oboler
      Andre ObolerOnline Hate Prevention Institute
    • Guido Melo
      Guido MeloInstitute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities
    • Kevin GarberJews of Sydney

  3. A tale of two seaside cities: supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities

    Two councils, same name, different states. A practical session on the difficulties councils face addressing mental health, domestic violence and social need in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

    Panelists

    • Mayor Christina Curry
      Mayor Christina CurryBayside Council, NSW
    • Cr Robert IrlichBayside City Council, VIC

  4. Inspire to Lead

    A local NSW based council walks through the stages of its Inspire to Lead program, and how councils can work together on leadership training, service mapping and interfaith engagement.

    Panelists

    • Srima McQuillan
      Srima McQuillanWilloughby City Council
    • William MurphyWilloughby City Council
    • Tanya Taylor
      Tanya TaylorWilloughby City Council

  5. Planning ahead: tricks and traps in social cohesion strategies

    Councils from Sydney and Melbourne on developing social cohesion strategies — what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently. A candid session for any council starting from scratch.

    Panelists

    • Waverley CouncilNSW
    • Glen Eira City CouncilVIC
3:50pm Q&A

Open floor

Delegates put their workshop questions directly to the speakers.

4:10pm Keynote

Closing keynote — One community among many

Michele Goldman draws the day together with the Jewish experience of multicultural Australia: generations of contribution to the life of this country, the friendships that have held firm through difficult years, and what every community gains when councils get this right.

Panelists

  • Michele Goldman
    Michele GoldmanChief Executive Officer, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
4:40pm

Conference adjourns

Summit gala

Thursday evening

6:30pm Dinner

Pre-dinner drinks and dinner

A dinner bringing together delegates, government, diplomatic and community leaders.

Panelists

  • Jillian Segal AO
    Jillian Segal AOSpecial Envoy to Combat Antisemitism
7:50pm Talk

Leaving hate behind

A former violent extremist and a former far-right leader, now working side by side, on how radicalisation takes hold and the pathways out.

Panelists

  • Mubin Shaikh
    Mubin ShaikhFormer extremist, counter-terrorism specialist (Canada)
  • Arno Michaelis
    Arno MichaelisFormer far-right leader, peacebuilder (USA)
9:10pm Award

Moral Courage Award and a minute of silence

Recognising outstanding local leadership against hate.

Panelists

  • Sheina Gutnick
    Sheina GutnickPublic Affairs Advocate, CAM Australia

Day two

Friday 27 November · Community day, by chartered coach

The closing day brings delegates together for shared experience, formal outcomes and public commemoration.

Morning

Transfer

Delegates assemble and depart

Breakfast

Women’s Leadership Breakfast

Hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women Australia – NSW Division.

Experience

An introduction to Jewish life and practice

Hands-on challah baking alongside an open, ask-anything conversation with a rabbi, designed so every delegate can take part, whatever their background. Delegates then join a guided visit to a major synagogue in small groups.

Lunch

Outcomes

The outcomes moment

The tangible commitments councils have made are formally presented and recognised — the point at which two days of work becomes a public undertaking. A community lunch follows, shared across the full delegation.

Ceremony

Ceremonial gathering and closing plenary

A moment of commemoration and solidarity at a site of deep significance to the community, where councils from every corner of Australia stand together.

Summit concludes approximately 2:00pm

Speakers

Confirmed speakers appearing across the Summit, gala dinner and workshops. Further speakers will be announced.

David Gonski AC

David Gonski AC

Chair, Australian Advisory Committee

Mayor Darcy Byrne

Mayor Darcy Byrne

Inner West Council, NSW

Mayor Cr Dr Simone Zmood

Mayor Cr Dr Simone Zmood

Glen Eira City Council, VIC

Ron Hoenig MP

Ron Hoenig MP

Minister for Local Government

Jillian Segal AO

Jillian Segal AO

Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism

Mubin Shaikh

Mubin Shaikh

Former extremist, counter-terrorism specialist (Canada)

Arno Michaelis

Arno Michaelis

Former far-right leader, peacebuilder (USA)

A/Prof Julian Droogan

A/Prof Julian Droogan

Professor in International Security and Terrorism Studies, Macquarie University

Alex Ryvchin

Alex Ryvchin

Co-CEO, Executive Council of Australian Jewry

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman

Founder of Chabad of Bondi. His son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was among those killed in the Bondi Beach attack.

Srima McQuillan

Srima McQuillan

Willoughby City Council

Mayor Christina Curry

Mayor Christina Curry

Bayside Council, NSW

Tanya Taylor

Tanya Taylor

Willoughby City Council

Basim Shamaon

Basim Shamaon

Community advocate

Ryan Morris

Ryan Morris

Councillor, Wollongong City Council

Guido Melo

Guido Melo

Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities

Andre Oboler

Andre Oboler

Online Hate Prevention Institute

Cr Steven Lewis

Mayor of Waverley (co-host)

Steven was first elected to Council in 2017. In 2024 he was reelected as an independent.

Steven has a keen interest in urban planning, design and transport. He holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts with majors in politics and urban geography as well as a post graduate Diploma in Urban Studies. Steven is a principal in a city law firm specialising in defamation, media and commercial litigation. He also advises clients on land and environment issues.

Prior to practising law, Steven worked for a decade in Australia’s then largest travel company and held a number of senior management positions.

Steven has been a long-time member of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, including serving on its executive. He has a strong interest in human rights and discrimination law and has acted in a number of high profile racial vilification cases.

Steven is married with three children.

Michele Goldman

Chief Executive Officer, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

Michele Goldman is the CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the elected representative body for the NSW Jewish community.

Prior to this, Michele served as CEO of Asthma Australia. Her career spans the corporate, social enterprise, and not-for-profit sectors, with a strong focus on leadership, advocacy, and social impact.

Michele holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Sydney Leadership Program and the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia program.

She currently serves as a Director of JewishCare and has previously held board roles with the Social Impact Hub, The Housing Connection, and the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation.

At the Summit she gives the Day One closing keynote, One community among many.

Cr Will Nemesh

Former Mayor of Waverley

Councillor Will Nemesh is a Waverley Councillor in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, first elected in 2017, and served as Mayor of Waverley from 2024 to 2026. A lifelong Waverley resident, he is committed to protecting the area’s heritage, natural environment and public spaces while advancing thoughtful planning, design and infrastructure improvements. His professional background spans state and federal government, the property sector, and community organisations, including board roles with Emanuel Synagogue and Courage to Care, and engagement work with the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.

As Mayor, Will prioritised community engagement, accessibility, and strategic planning. He also led national efforts to strengthen social cohesion, with Waverley becoming the first local government in Australia to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and implement a dedicated strategy to combat antisemitism. He has represented Waverley internationally, including at the 2025 Paris Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism. At the Summit he introduces the afternoon breakout workshops.

Ahmed Hassan OAM

Community leader and youth advocate

Ahmed Hassan is a Melbourne community leader and youth advocate. The 2022 Victorian Young Australian of the Year, he works across community, government and civic life to strengthen social cohesion and create pathways into education and employment.

At the Summit he joins Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann for the Research and dialogue in-conversation session, and takes part in the afternoon workshops.

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann

ARK Centre

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann is the rabbi of Melbourne's ARK Centre and a member of the Australian Multicultural Council. He is known for his work in interfaith dialogue and social cohesion, including the Pillars of Light Festival.

Together with Ahmed Hassan OAM, he hosts the Research and dialogue in-conversation session and takes part in the Summit's afternoon workshops.

Sheina Gutnick

Public Affairs Advocate, CAM Australia

Sheina Gutnick is Public Affairs Advocate for Combat Antisemitism Movement Australia. Drawing on a background in psychology and community education, she works with governments and councils on practical responses to antisemitism and social cohesion.

By registering you will join a movement in ensuring antisemitism cannot take root in our local community. Take a stand against the world's most ancient hatred and bring all Australians together.

Register Now