Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I would like to send my best wishes to Jewish Australians who are today marking Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and is a day of atonement. Its origins lie in a ritual of purification and it is customary to wear white on Yom Kippur, which symbolises purity and calls to mind the promise that one's sins should be wiped away. Yom Kippur is also a time of repentance and a time to reflect. Many Jewish Australians, whether they are secular or Orthodox, will mark Yom Kippur today by fasting, refraining from work, and attending synagogue services.

Today a number of members from parliament from each side are absent because of Yom Kippur. Holy days such as these call for prayer and contemplation. It is an occasion that allows us to consider the significant contribution of the Jewish community to Australia—contributing in every community and excelling in every field. This week both sides of politics reiterated our commitment to a future free from prejudice and racial intolerance. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition reiterated our commitment to a responsibility to unite, not divide. Modern multicultural Australia should give us the opportunity to come together and celebrate every occasion with joy rather than avoid religious references out of fear. In this spirit I take great pleasure in wishing everyone all the best for Yom Kippur and a gut yontif for this evening—a joyful breaking of the fast.