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Jewish community members are set to gather in solidarity in the wake of Friday’s firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue.
Religious leaders have described a heightened sense of fear in the community since Friday’s attack in Melbourne’s southeast.
More than a thousand community members are expected to meet at an undisclosed location in Ripponlea to “stand against hate” on Sunday.
The rally will finish with flowers being laid at the synagogue.
“This rally is a moment to unite, reflect and reaffirm our shared commitment to resilience and togetherness in our community,” organisers J-United said.
The Adass Isreal Synagogue remains closed to the public after it was set alight by two masked men in what police have described as a targeted attack.
Two of its three buildings were gutted and two congregants who were inside at the time preparing for morning prayers were evacuated, one suffering minor injuries.
Police have confirmed they are also investigating reports of a bullet found on a footpath near the Synagogue in Glen Eira Road on Saturday afternoon.
Orthodox Jewish parents and children walking through the Ripponlea neighbourhood in Melbourne’s southeast on Saturday paused to take in the damage.
The attack on a place of worship, which was built by Holocaust survivors, has led to a heightened sense of fear in the community, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed increased police patrols to bolster safety into the coming week and pledged $100,000 towards rebuilding.
Despite condemning the attack, she is not expected to attend Sunday’s rally.
Politicians and religious leaders unanimously condemned the anti-Semitic arson attack, with Mr Albanese offering to send in Australian Federal Police to help with the Victoria Police investigation.
It has also prompted NSW to consider new laws to better protect religious freedoms.
Premier Chris Minns said NSW would consider reforms to laws regulating protests outside religious institutions and places of worship that aimed to intimidate or prevent people from practising their faith.
He said the government would aim to balance people’s rights to religious freedoms with the right to protest.
The incident prompted Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hit out at the Australian government, saying he expected action to prevent future violence.
In response, the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network said any attack on a place of worship was an unacceptable act of hate via social media but accused Mr Netanyahu of seeking to sow division as a distraction from his government’s actions.
Former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to set up a police task force devoted to stamping out anti-Semitism and declare the Ripponlea attack a terrorist act.
A pro-Palestine rally is expected to be held outside the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne CBD on Sunday that will end with a march through the CBD.
That rally has been running weekly for the past year.
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