Hol
Well-known
Communities gather in Caulfield to celebrate Nowruz and stand together against Iran's terror regime.
Standing in Caulfield, Melbourne, I witnessed something many wouldn’t expect in the current climate — Jews and Iranians coming together, not in conflict, but in celebration.
The occasion was Nowruz, the Persian New Year, but the event carried far more weight than a cultural festival. Against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in the Middle East, this gathering became a show of unity against what attendees repeatedly described as a shared enemy: the Islamic Republic regime in Iran.
“It feels natural… it just feels normal,” one attendee told me. “We’re not enemies. We don’t need to be enemies. We need to stand together against terrorism.”
That sentiment echoed throughout the event. Many I spoke to said recent global events, particularly the fallout from Hamas’ October 7 terror attack and escalating regional conflict, have unintentionally brought these communities closer together.
“I think they really messed up, the Islamic regime in Iran,” The Australian Jewish Association’s Robert Gregory told me. “They’ve brought us together… and shown that community and love and support is so much stronger.”
Standing in Caulfield, Melbourne, I witnessed something many wouldn’t expect in the current climate — Jews and Iranians coming together, not in conflict, but in celebration.
The occasion was Nowruz, the Persian New Year, but the event carried far more weight than a cultural festival. Against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in the Middle East, this gathering became a show of unity against what attendees repeatedly described as a shared enemy: the Islamic Republic regime in Iran.
“It feels natural… it just feels normal,” one attendee told me. “We’re not enemies. We don’t need to be enemies. We need to stand together against terrorism.”
That sentiment echoed throughout the event. Many I spoke to said recent global events, particularly the fallout from Hamas’ October 7 terror attack and escalating regional conflict, have unintentionally brought these communities closer together.
“I think they really messed up, the Islamic regime in Iran,” The Australian Jewish Association’s Robert Gregory told me. “They’ve brought us together… and shown that community and love and support is so much stronger.”
