A heartfelt message from PESA’s Chair and CEO

Dear PESA Community,

We are writing with deep concern following the recent antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. Our thoughts are with the Jewish community, the local Bondi residents, and with all those who have been impacted by this act of violence.

PESA is a diverse community united by a shared commitment to wellbeing and humanity. We stand firmly in solidarity with all our member schools and affirm, without hesitation, that everyone deserves to be safe and respected for who they are and what they believe. Violence and hatred have no place in our schools or in our society.

As many in the Jewish community observe Hanukkah, we are reminded of its central message: that even in moments of darkness, light endures. The simple act of lighting a candle, night by night, speaks to courage and hope, not as a denial of pain, but as a refusal to let darkness have the final word.

This aligns closely with what the science of hope teaches us. Research shows that hope is not passive optimism, but an active, learnable capacity. Hope involves:

Goals: Identifying what matters most.
Pathways: Imagining ways forward, even when the path feels uncertain.
Agency: Believing that our actions, individually and collectively, can make a difference.

In times like these, hope becomes a strategy for resilience.

As a gentle offering, we are sharing a simple Hope Map activity that schools may choose to use with staff, students, families or within their wider communities. This can be used flexibly, as a classroom activity, a staff reflection, a family conversation, a community moment, or simply held as a framework for thinking and talking together. There is no expectation to engage with this unless and until it feels appropriate for your context.

We hold hope that, as an Australian community, this moment can become a marker for deeper compassion, greater acceptance of difference, and a renewed commitment to standing together. Every community brings its own uniqueness, and that diversity is a strength we must continue to protect.

We send our love, solidarity and light to you and your communities.

With love and hope,

Leonie Abbott, PESA Chair and Lisa Davias, PESA CEO