The Greek Herald can reveal that James Tsolakis has stepped down as President of the Australian Hellenic Choir following last week’s controversy surrounding the cancelled Hope and Unity concert with the Sydney Jewish Choral Society.
While Tsolakis will remain involved with the choir, a new President is expected to be elected in the coming weeks, although details surrounding the process have not yet been announced.
The leadership change comes amid significant public discussion after the cancellation of the proposed Hope and Unity concert, which had been scheduled for June 28 at Sydney Town Hall and aimed to raise funds for families affected by the 2024 Bondi Beach terror attack.
The controversy escalated after media reports suggested objections among some choir members were linked to political tensions surrounding Israel and Palestine, prompting accusations of antisemitism.
In response, the Australian Hellenic Choir issued a public clarification rejecting those claims, stating recent reporting had “inaccurately suggested” members were motivated by antisemitic views.
The choir stressed that “Antisemitism, or any other form of discrimination, has no place in our organisation,” and said members ultimately voted against participating because rehearsals were already underway for another major concert in May.
The clarification followed comments made by Tsolakis in earlier reporting, where he expressed disappointment over the cancellation and acknowledged what he described as antisemitic sentiment within parts of the broader community.
“There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realise the extent of it,” Tsolakis said at the time.
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of people in the community blaming the Jewish community for what’s happening in Israel, Palestine … that’s not correct.
“You want to hate (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu? Hate Netanyahu, but what have the Jewish people done to you? The whole antisemitism thing has got to be wound back.”
Since the controversy emerged, several Greek and Jewish community figures and organisations have moved to emphasise the longstanding relationship between the two communities and reject suggestions the incident reflected broader communal division.
The Jewish Hellenic Association of Victoria described the concert as an opportunity for reconciliation and solidarity, with a statement issued by Dean Kalimniou arguing that music and culture should continue to serve as bridges between communities.
“The answer to hatred is not separation but robust debate and principled solidarity,” the statement read.
New Democracy in North Australia (Sydney) also condemned antisemitism and distanced the wider Greek Australian community from suggestions of hostility toward Jewish Australians.
President John Kallimanis said Greek Australians had historically promoted multiculturalism, coexistence and cross-cultural friendship.
“By no means does this tiny minority represent the inclusive and pro-Jewish sentiments of the broader Greek Australian community,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Jewish Choral Society indicated it remained open to future collaboration despite the cancellation. Chair Anne Spira told The Australian that the choir hoped to continue building bridges between communities through music and cultural exchange.
Former Multicultural NSW chair and former chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Vic Alhadeff, also acknowledged the hurt caused by the cancellation but stressed that the relationship between Greek and Jewish Australians remained strong.
“Australia’s Greek and Jewish communities have enjoyed a long, collaborative and mutually supportive friendship, and our hope is that the two choirs will again share a platform in the foreseeable future,” he said.
Despite the fallout, several organisations and community leaders have reiterated that the broader relationship between Greek and Jewish Australians extends far beyond a single cultural event, pointing to decades of shared history, cooperation and mutual support.
