November 15, 2023
A western Sydney business has come under fire for refusing to lease a jumping castle to a well-known Jewish high school, with the owner then boasting about her decision on social media.
Instagram posts by Western Sydney Jump, shared by the Australian Jewish Association, appear to show the business reacting to an email requesting a quote for services from St Ives’ Masada College, an independent Jewish school.
In it, the business’s owner and founder Tanya Issa responds: “There’s no way I’m taking a Zionist booking”.
“I don’t want your blood money. Free Palestine,” she said, in messages which were shared on the Western Sydney Jump Instagram page.
She added: “I have owned my business for 10 years. I have the right to decline any booking at anytime”.
Premier Chris Minns called the situation “outrageous”.
“It’s not in keeping with any part of our multicultural community. I condemn it completely. This must be investigated by federal and state authorities,” he said.
It’s understood Mr Minns visited Jewish-run Shaffa restaurant this week in a show of support for the business after it was vandalised.
NSW Police arrived at Masada College on Wednesday morning to investigate the matter.
Bradfield MP Paul Fletcher, whose electorate covers the St Ives school, also blasted the business.
“I am extremely disappointed by the way this business has responded,” he said.
“Masada College is a remarkable school who contribute immensely to my local community.
“Racism has no place in our country and this behaviour should be condemned.”
Meanwhile, Western Sydney Jumping Castles & Face Painting, which is a separate small business operating under a similar name, have revealed they’ve been receiving a number of threats and hate mail.
“I’d like to let everyone know the stress and threats we’ve had to endure as a result of what’s occurred is VERY SAD,” a statement read.
“Our Family Business are NOT INVOLVED at all with what’s occurred and DON’T support what we’re reading that has been posted by another company with SIMILAR BUSINESS NAME TO OURS.
“All we ask is this be corrected as it 100% not our company nor our View were all Human and need to all love one another.
“We do not support any hate towards other humans. We are all one.”
The small business reinforced that the comments were made by another company.
“Please understand that these comments were made by another company called Western Sydney jump,” the statement continues.
“This was not created by our company Western Sydney Jumping Castles and face painting.
“Different companies all together.”
Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the business owner should “hang their head in shame” for discriminating against children.
“This is deeply shocking discrimination against innocent children which is utterly unacceptable in Australia,“ Mr Paterson told the Telegraph.
“It’s very sad that someone in Australia wants to blame school students for events 12,000kms away purely based on their religion.
“The owner should hang their head in shame and do the decent thing and apologise.”
Australian Jewish Association (AJA) President Dave Adler said it was a case of discrimination against Jewish people.
“At face value it does seem to be a commercial act of discrimination against a Jewish school, I think the person who did it should take legal advice because discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, is in breach of both federal and state laws,” he said.
AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said: “When we saw (chants of) ‘gas the Jews’ at the steps of the Opera House, this is the inevitable next step.”
“We find it atrocious in 2023 that Jewish children would be refused service by a jumping castle business, it’s starting to feel like the 1930s here.
“We call on the government to take a much more forceful public position against anti-Semitism.”
The business was contacted for comment. Its Instagram page appeared to be taken offline on Tuesday afternoon.
On its website, Western Sydney Jump purports to be a “celebration and event hire company providing a range of equipment to help entertain guests of all ages and abilities”.
A federal government spokesman said there was no space for anti-semitism in Australia. “There is no place in Australia for anti-Semitism or any other form of bigotry or prejudice. Hate speech, in all its forms, has no place in Australia.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the incident was “indicative of the surge in antisemitism in our country under the disguise of political activism”.
“To refuse to hire a jumping castle to kids who happen to be Jewish is the height of prejudice and low bigotry. The business should be ashamed.
“The reference to blood money of course invokes the blood libel, a classic anti-Jewish myth.
“The openness of the racism shows how normalised anti-Jewish hate is becoming.”
