Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,000 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, today announced the launch of CJV Australia, to pursue “Down Under” the same mission of promoting traditional Jewish values. The organisation will be led by Rabbi Dovid Freilich, the former Chief Rabbi of the Perth Synagogue and a past president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA).

“The CJV is just the antidote needed,” said Rabbi Freilich, “to enable us to promote G-d’s formulae to both preserve the world and elevate humanity, and to speak out against ideologies which have the potential to adversely affect generations to come. Much more important than my position with CJV Australia is what we can achieve through it.

Over thirty Australian rabbis, representing diverse segments of the Orthodox community, have joined the new organisation under Rabbi Freilich’s leadership. The group hopes to have a voice with political leaders, policymakers and the public at large.

“When I approached the American leadership of CJV two years ago,” commented CJV International Liaison Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag of Manchester, UK, “I told them that I saw the same need for CJV’s authoritative voice in many other countries. I am so delighted that my Australian colleagues similarly see the need for, and the opportunity presented by, CJV to defend and promote our sacred and precious Torah heritage—the timeless moral values of traditional Judaism, in the public sphere. It is most encouraging to see how they have coalesced behind such a prestigious leader as Rabbi Freilich to speak up on behalf of our shared values.”