Leonard steps down from VMC
JEWISH community stalwart Grahame Leonard has stepped down from his role as a commissioner to the Victorian Multicultural Commission after more than five years in the post.
JEWISH community stalwart Grahame Leonard has stepped down from his role as a commissioner to the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) after more than five years in the post.
Leonard told The AJN that his time serving, during which he chaired the Southern Regional Advisory Council, has been “an honour and a privilege” and filled with many highlights.
“You get to meet and understand a lot of the diversity in Victoria’s community,” he said.
For many years, Leonard has been passionate about combating racism and encouraging people to integrate.
He enthused that Victoria is widely regarded as the most successful multicultural society in Australia, and perhaps in the world.
“The Victorian model is very much about encouraging people to be Australian, to integrate, but to celebrate their heritage,” he said, noting there has always been bipartisan political support for this model.
“The Jewish community is held in such high regard and respect across the multicultural communities,” he added.
He said as well as being a -well-organised and unified community, this is the case because of “our willingness to reach out and assist emerging communities”.
Within the community, Leonard is a former chairperson of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, and a former president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
He continues to be involved in a number of Jewish organisations, including Access and Australian Friends of the Hebrew University.
“I’m quite involved in our community in various ways. I like to help and support our leadership groups,” he said.
Moreover, he is a volunteer director and former honorary CEO of the Australian chapter of the global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.
In a letter to Leonard upon his resignation, VMC chairperson Helen Kapalos thanked him for his “exemplary service” to the Commission since September 2011.
“Your thoughtful approach to interfaith relationships and promoting community harmony will be greatly missed,” she wrote.
Asked why he made the decision to resign, Leonard said he has always pursued a policy of calling time after what he feels has been a reasonable period of service.
He officially relinquished his role on January 27, while the VMC held a lunch this week to celebrate his achievements.
Established in 1983, the VMC provides independent advice to the Victorian government to inform the development of legislative and policy frameworks, as well as the delivery of services to Victoria’s culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society.
PHOEBE ROTH
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