Jewish junior footballers racially abused as children ask ‘why do they hate us?’

A woman was forced to change her “obviously Jewish” name in the workplace and a nurse felt NSW’s health system wasn’t safe for Jews, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard.

In a hearing spanning the impacts of antisemitism in the workplace, in sport and in education, the royal commission heard evidence from more than a dozen witnesses of young children questioning “why do they hate us?” and young Jewish football players facing vile abuse on the field.

In the fourth day of the first block of hearings, a woman who remained anonymous described a conversation with the CEO of the company where she had recently been employed, who said a certain client had sensitivities around Israel.

Ultimately, the chief executive requested the Jewish employee use a different name at work to avoid any negative commercial outcomes from her “obviously Jewish” name.

“I felt a sense of shame I hadn’t felt before. Not because I’m ashamed of being Jewish, I’m a proud Jew, but because I was made aware that something so deeply personal to me could be negatively viewed by others,” she said.

“I found myself questioning my value and questioning my impact.”

A NSW Health nurse manager, who also remained anonymous, described to the royal commission her experience as both a Jewish member of staff after October 7 and as a patient in the hospital system. She told the hearing she felt terrified while going into surgery after video of two nurses allegedly claiming to refuse to treat Israeli patients went viral in 2025, fearing she too may be killed.

She said she felt she had no choice but to try and hide her Jewish identity while being admitted to hospital, for fear of persecution.

She also claimed that Jewish staff at her workplace were unfairly treated by management and abused by other staff. She was asked to take down posters from her desk showing Israeli hostages, and alleged that coworkers called her “Zionist scum” and told her “shame on you” while passing her in corridors.

“For me in healthcare now, yes, my trust is very dented, and I’m actually, for the first time in my career, ashamed to be a healthcare worker,” she said.

The hearing also heard heartbreaking testimony about the impact of Australia’s antisemitism crisis on children. A clinical psychologist, also appearing anonymously, described the difficulty of trying to explain to young Jewish children why other kids were targeting them with hateful slurs.

“When a nine-year-old asks ‘why do they hate us? Why do I have to hide my uniform? What is it about me that they don’t like – what have I done?’ … how do you answer that?” the psychologist said.

At Ajax Junior Football Club in Melbourne, antisemitism has surged since October 7. President Daniel Onas described to the commission instances of a parent being called a “bloody Jew”, an opposition player yelling “you f— Jews” and in one especially disturbing incident, an opposition player telling a child “Hitler should have finished you off”.

Onas said the football club had to organise training for players and parents on how to handle antisemitic incidents during the games.

“It’s a very difficult thing for young kids to have to endure when really all they should be doing is playing football, and they carry that with them beyond just the Sunday games,” Onas said.

The hearing also heard experiences of Jews in left-wing politics and the media. Trade union worker Stephanie Cunio gave evidence that she felt “cancelled” and “gaslit” by members of her political networks who denied or downplayed the events of October 7.

Former editor of The Age and author Michael Gawenda used his appearance before the royal commission to express fears for the future of journalism, claiming in the current climate, holding strong views about Israel could be detrimental to your career as a journalist.

A musician told the royal commission he was subject to a campaign of online harassment for being Israeli, and had activists come to his non-political performances to shout pro-Palestine slogans. The Age’s food critic Dani Valent used her time before the commission to read a moving essay about her experiences as a Jew in Australia after October 7.

In her essay, Valent recounted hiding her Star of David necklace in fear, of holding back on publishing an Israeli restaurant review, and of feeling the need to be vigilant.

The royal commission also heard from Jillian Segal, AO, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, who was asked to summarise the assessments she had made about antisemitism in Australia since she took up her role.

“Antisemitism is a virus, it’s an illness that has morphed and mutated over time,” Segal said.

She describing how antisemitism had evolved over time, from religious-based to the racism of Nazi Germany and to modern antisemitism, which she describes as much more concerned with the state of Israel. “It’s almost fashionable,” Segal says. “If someone that they follow online, an influencer, is of that view, they adopt that view.

“In one sense it’s the most pernicious because it just happens very easily, and in another sense I think, through my plan, it’s the form of antisemitism that we can tackle because I think it is subject to education.”

Segal told the commission that speaking up was not just the role of political leaders but also sporting, judicial, religious and business leaders.

Criticism of the actions of the Israeli government were fair but criticism of the existence of the state of Israel, or criticism of Jews, was stepping into “different territory”, Segal said.

The royal commission, headed by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, continues on Friday.