Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I was delighted to attend the 90th anniversary celebrations for the Australasian Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, affectionately known as AHEPA. I joined His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis along with Theo Skhinas, the grand president of the Grand Lodge of AHEPA, Sophia Notaras, the national supreme president of AHEPA, and many more Australians of Hellenic heritage to celebrate nearly a century of heritage service and culture enrichment. AHEPA today is a beacon of Hellenism and a testament to the enduring spirit of the Greek community and their contribution to Australia.

This country's connection with Greece is profound, from our capital cities to our towns, like Werris Creek, Gunnedah and Scone, all of which have been an important part of the formation of AHEPA. Greeks have done so much to shape the face of our modern nation. In my own electorate of Kingsford Smith we've got a thriving Greek community. The year 2024 holds additional significance for the Greek Orthodox community, with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand. AHEPA members are united in their commitment to philanthropy, education and cultural exchange. Their charitable endeavours, from medical research to support for the aged and disadvantaged, reflect the very best of that ethos. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in AHEPA over the last 90 years.

I'd also like to acknowledge 40 years of wonderful service by Rabbi Elozer Gestetner and Rebbetzin Miri Gestetner. Together they've led the Coogee Synagogue for 40 years over this special time. Recently I was delighted to join hundreds of people from the local Jewish community to celebrate their leadership of the congregation. It's another milestone for an amazing couple, who are the longest serving Jewish congregation leaders in Australia. That's something that our community is very proud of. Rabbi Elozer and Miri have led the services and the pastoral care of their community for that period.

The Coogee Synagogue is known as 'the great little central synagogue by the sea'. It was founded in 1950 by Holocaust survivors who left the devastation of post-war Europe for a new beginning in our community. Under the leadership of Elozer and Miri, the Coogee Synagogue has grown to a membership of now over 300, and over the past 40 years the Gestetners have officiated at 515 bar and bat mitzvahs—in itself an amazing achievement. They're wonderful contributors to our community and they're much beloved. Miri runs a wonderful childcare and community centre there, and they do so much for our community. Congratulations to Elozer and Miri Gestetner.