'Gas the Jews': Three boys reveal the shocking abuse they received as leaders fear a growing wave of anti-Semitism in Melbourne
- Three Jewish boys have spoken of the shocking abuse the received on a bus
- The boys mistakenly boarded the wrong bus home when the incident took place
- A group of teenagers on the bus directed abusive language to the three boys
- Jewish leaders said the incident is part of growing wave of anti-Semitic episodes
Three Jewish teenagers who were allegedly targeted by a group of bullies on a bus have spoken about the shocking anti-Semitic abuse they received.
Elimelech, 15, and his two 14-year-old friends had been shopping at Chadstone in Melbourne, when they mistakenly got on the wrong bus about 4pm on Wednesday, The Age reported.
The three teenagers were supposed to be heading towards Caulfield, but found themselves going in a completely different direction towards Oakleigh.
Three Jewish teenagers who were allegedly targeted by a group of bullies on a bus have spoken about the shocking anti-Semitic abuse they received (stock image)
Elimelech described how he and his friends became nervous when a large group of teenagers on the bus approached them and began hurling abuse.
'A girl in the group asked 'What would you do if I grabbed [the skull cap] off your head?',' Elimelech said.
The 15-year-old said he was shocked to hear another person who was sitting behind him then say: 'Gas the Jews'.
Elimelech, who asked to withhold his surname, said the offensive comments were especially hurtful given that he had grandparents who died in the Holocaust.
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He described how he tried to defuse the situation and protect his friends but ultimately the trio were outnumbered by the group of teenagers.
No matter how much he tried to explain the cultural significance of his skull cap, which is called a kippah, it only seemed to make the situation worse, he said.
The 15-year-old said he's used to having people yell out derogatory comments - including when he walks to Sabbath.
'People should be aware of the Holocaust and how damaging these comments are to someone who is a descendant of people who got killed and murdered,' he said.
Elimelech, 15, and his two 14-year-old friends had been shopping at Chadstone in Melbourne, when they mistakenly got on the wrong bus about 4pm on Wednesday
Human rights advocates have warned Melbourne's Jewish community is in the middle of a 'tsunami' of vilification - highlighted by a rise of derogatory graffiti in Melbourne's inner eastern suburbs.
The bullying comes after a rabbi filmed himself being subjected to disgusting road rage, where a motorist in Caulfield told him he 'should've died in Auschwitz'.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich told the publication the attack against the boys highlights a further increase in anti-Semitic attacks.
Dr Abramovich said the community must adopt a zero-tolerance to bigotry and he has urged Melbournians to take a stand against the abuse.
'All Victorians have a right to travel on our public transport without having to endure and suffer physical harassment, hate-fuelled threats and religious abuse,' he said.
Melbourne's Jewish community is in the middle of a 'tsunami' of vilification - highlighted by a rise of derogatory graffiti in Melbourne's inner eastern suburbs.
