SBS Hebrew

In an exclusive interview with SBS Hebrew, Kenneth Stern the lead author of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism argues that the text was designed as a tool for research and comparison, not as a legal weapon. Stern also draws a distinction between antisemitism and Palestinian experience, urging a broader, more nuanced public conversation.

איזי מן מספר מה היה השבוע בהיסטוריה העולמית והישראלית. והשבוע: הבליצקריג בלונדון, רכבת הנוסעים המודרנית הראשונה באוסטרליה "רוח הקידמה", ועוד.

Peter Allen of the Australian Jewish Historical Society explores the deep-rooted history of Jewish participation in the Australian military, dating back to the First Fleet. He discusses the legacy of prominent figures like Sir John Monash and the societal challenges faced by Jewish servicemen, including instances of antisemitism and the intentional concealment of religious identity. Peter Allen al...

In this interview, we speak with Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and leading voice at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies about the rapidly evolving confrontation between Israel, Iran and the United States. As Washington intensifies economic pressure and military posturing, we explore the strategic calculus behind sanctions, blockades and the threshold for direct strikes o...

SBS Hebrew explores Israel’s constitutional crisis through the lenses of constitutional law expert Suzie Navot and University of NSW law scholar Noam Peleg. They examine the country’s unusual separation of powers, the impact of judicial reforms, concerns about democratic erosion, and the competing forces of protest, resilience and political fragmentation.

Dr. Joseph Toltz, a researcher at the University of Sydney, discusses the recovery and significance of ‘Out of the Depths’, a rare 1945 Yiddish songbook. Compiled in liberated Bucharest, the collection documents the immediate musical testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

איזי מן מספר מה היה השבוע בהיסטוריה העולמית והישראלית. והשבוע: המרד הערבי הגדול, משפט אייכמן, ועוד.

בערב חמישי האחרון צוין חג המימונה בקהילות יהודיות וישראליות בארץ ובעולם. בצל המלחמה ואי-הוודאות סביב הפסקת האש, בחרו בקהילות באוסטרליה להתכנס יחד, לפתוח את הדלתות ולחגוג את ערכי הרעות והכנסת האורחים, גם הרחק מהבית.

Sara Kowal is a researcher at Monash University specialising in international law and human rights. In this interview, she shares her perspective on Israel’s move to introduce the death penalty for certain terrorism - related offences, where she examines the legal basis for the law, how it may apply in the West Bank and also the broader implications for international humanitarian law. Additionally...

Tomer Peretz is an Israeli - American artist whose work has been deeply shaped by lived experience of conflict and trauma. Following the events of October 7, he volunteered with ZAKA which included unfathomable tasks such as entering homes where scenes of profound devastation had taken place. In the wake of that experience, Peretz turned to art not only as personal processing, but as a form of res...

Nowruz marks the Persian New Year - a time for new beginnings, but for many in Melbourne’s Iranian and Jewish communities, this year’s celebration is shaped by worry for loved ones in Iran and in Israel. In this special SBS Hebrew feature, we bring you voices from this unique gathering - where people came together despite distance, uncertainty and grief, finding connection and shared hope for the...

Rabbi Allison Conyer is a highly experienced international Reform rabbi with a rich background in Jewish education, interfaith work, and community engagement. Though she was ordained as a rabbi in New York, she is the first woman rabbi in New South Wales. She joined Temple Beth Israel in March 2024, and with a diverse and rich background in psychology and leadership, she orchestrates a welcoming c...

Dr Anne Aly MP reflects on Australia's multiculturalism and makes the point that diversity is Australia's national identity, but urges that it is not something we should take for granted, "pluralism is not something we can take our eye off - it didn't happen by accident."

Dave Sharma knows Australia's Jewish community well. In conversation with Michael Bartura, Sharma reflects on his time as Australian Ambassador to Israel, how he can use his public platform to bridge different communities to one another and why he puts harmony at the centre of everything he does.

We speak with SBS Chief Foreign Correspondent Ben Lewis who examines the rapidly escalating Iran – Israel / US conflict and the growing global fallout. From maritime threats in the Strait of Hormuz to surging energy costs and mounting geopolitical tension, we explore the economic shockwaves of a prolonged blockade and the risks of further escalation across the Middle East. We also discuss whether...

On the sidelines of Harmony Week, Rabbi Zalman Kastel, founder of Together for Humanity, shared with SBS Hebrew reflections on the urgent need for genuine harmony in an increasingly divided Australia. Addressing rising animosity and the "tokenism" of multicultural celebrations, he explores how social media fuels aggression. Rabbi Kastel emphasizes that while education must start at home, interfait...

In a conversation with SBS Hebrew during Harmony Week, Allegra Spender (Federal Member for Wentworth) reflects on Harmony Week, warning that rising antisemitism—highlighted after the Bondi terrorist attack—requires urgent action. She argues that building connections, especially among young people, is key to restoring social cohesion and ensuring Australians can “disagree well” without deepening di...

SBS Chief Foreign Correspondent in conversation with Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, Sima Shine from the Institute for National Security Studies and Likud MK, Amit Halevi.

איזי מן מספר מה היה השבוע בהיסטוריה העולמית והישראלית. והשבוע, אובדן פצצת מימן בחוף ספרד, הנאום האחרון של מרטין לותר קינג, ועוד.

It's been almost three months since the Jewish community gathered to celebrate Chanukah at Sydney’s Bondi beach, and 15 people were killed in Australia's worse Terror attack. Images of 43-year-old Syrian-Australian father-of-two Ahmed Al- Ahmed tackling and disarming one of the gunmen, went viral around the world. In the run up to Harmony Week, Ahmed joined the SBS Hebrew and Arabic teams to talk...

משה לוי, אחד המוזיקאים העסוקים והמוערכים בישראל הגיע לפני חודש להופיע באוסטרליה יחד עם שלום חנוך איתו הוא מופיע מעל ל-4 עשורים ועם נכדו של חנוך - עמרי קרן. לפני כשבועיים, בדרכו לשדה התעופה גילה שהחלה מלחמה עם איראן וטיסתו בוטלה. מעז יצא מתוק וביום ראשון הקרוב יופיע לוי פה במלבורן יחד עם אוהד ריין וסימון סטאר.

Ramak Bamzar is an Iranian-Australian artist whose photography turns the faces of those killed in Iran’s protest movement into powerful acts of resistance against oppression. From Australia, she uses her work to defy the administration's violence whilst she expresses cautious hope that the recent death of Ayatollah Khamenei could open the door to a freer, more open Iran.

Afro-Brazilian Australian Jewish writer and academic Guido Melo says artificial intelligence systems may unintentionally reinforce antisemitic stereotypes. Speaking about his research using AI image generators, he found prompts about Jewish people frequently returned images that were male-dominated, culturally narrow, or aggressive. Melo says the issue reflects the data AI learns from online and h...

On the sidelines of International Women’s Day 2026, veteran journalist Melissa Singer reflects on her career in journalism and the evolving Australian media landscape. Speaking about her work with Sunday Life, she explores how storytelling can reveal unexpected sides of public figures, the challenges facing Australian journalism, and the impact of algorithms and social media on public debate. Sing...

As we have just celebrated the festival of Purim this week, lawyer and journalist Nomi Kaltmann joins SBS to explore the historical and cultural parallels between the ancient Persian story at the heart of the holiday and present-day Iran. The Purim narrative, told in the biblical Book of Esther, recounts how a plot to destroy the Jewish people in the Persian Empire was ultimately thwarted through...