On August 30, OHPI attended the Celebration of Welcome to the Govenor of Victoria, Her Excellency, the Honourable Linda Dessau AM at the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation. She is the first woman and the first Jew appointment to the role.
She spoke about her Jewish upbringing including some early incidents of antisemitism. A school principal once called her parents to express the school’s displeasure at her foreign lunch box contents. In another incident she was excluded from a birthday because the parents didn’t want a Jew in their house.
She’s continued by describing the disadvantages she saw as a lawyer working with many segments of the community. She’s described the importance of a sense of belonging and community cohesion to individuals well being. She’s said that being able to advance social inclusion, harmony and diversity is a privilege of the role she’s taken on.