A week before the terror attack on the Jewish community in Bondi Beach, Australia, You Tube star Maskit Mati, 22, spoke with The Journal about the rise in antisemitism in her home country. The young Australian student had moved to New York following a job offer from Kii NYC — a Jewish organization founded to connect young Jews through events in the city.
The invitation came just in time. Mati, who is from Melbourne, was studying film and television. She recalled walking to class one day when she was stopped by a man who handed her a poster and asked if she wanted to “Free Palestine.”
“I said, ‘No, thank you. I love Israel.’ And then I went to class,” said Mati. “When I got there, everyone had a ‘Free Palestine’ poster on their desk. I was like, ‘Oh my God — where am I now?’ I felt like an outsider.” Luckily for her, it was her last year at the university, but it was very uncomfortable being at a place where everyone knew she is Jewish and everyone was taking a stand for Palestine.
The deadly attack on Jews during a Hanukkah-by-the-sea celebration on Sunday hosted by Chabad left many in shock — but not surprised. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Australia has experienced a sharp increase in attacks against Jewish communities and individuals. In August 2024, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) raised the national terrorism threat level from “possible” to “probable,” citing the risk of community tensions and political violence related to the Gaza war as one of the reasons.
“The way the Australian government was handling it — or rather, the lack of handling it — is appalling,” said Mati. “There was always an issue of weak consequences, and they leave it all to chance. We know words lead to action, and still nobody has done anything. To see this is very shocking.”
The attack by two gunmen killed 15 people and injured 40 others, including a 12-year-old girl and a rabbi.
Mati added that the Australian government needs to do more to protect the Jewish community. Speaking with her family and friends back in Australia, she said they are all living in fear and distress. Other Hanukkah celebrations were canceled, and the Jewish community — which has long alerted authorities to the problem — now sees its fears realized.
Mati was born in Australia to Israeli parents. She said that she started feeling the rise in antisemitism in recent years. It became much more noticeable after Oct. 7, 2023. Mati has been a YouTuber for the past 10 years and now has over 177k followers. Before the war, she had been posting light and fun content: traveling, vacations, life at the university and such. After the war though and posting about the war in Israel, however, everything changed.
“I got messages from people who were watching my videos for four to five years and they said, ‘Do you support what Israel is doing? Let us know so we can choose whether to further follow you or not. I believe that everything happens for a reason because that moment, everything shifted.”
Mati decided not to back down. If she were to lose followers, so be it. She was determined to take a stand.
“Beforehand, I was terrified to speak about my roots,” she admitted. “But without that, there was no backbone to what I was doing. I decided to go all in on Israel and just live and breathe who I am — in my life and online too. I started posting what really mattered to me: community, Jewish values and Jewish concepts. I also shared my story of taking on Shabbat values. People really connected to it, and I felt like I finally unlocked a voice in me.”
And speaking of a voice, Mati has a beautiful one. She often posts videos on Instagram of herself singing Jewish and Israeli songs to her 60,000 followers. Most recently, she shared a video of herself singing in the middle of Times Square: “I Don’t Want a Lot for Hanukkah.” Her version of the popular Mariah Carey song received tens of thousands of likes.
“I remember the first Israeli song I uploaded — ‘I promise you, little girl, that this is going to be the last war.’ It’s one of the songs I grew up with, and I made a remake of it,” she said. “People reacted by saying, ‘Wow, this takes me back years.’ It became a comfort zone — not just for that sweet young girl, but for all of us. We’re all dealing with vulnerability online, and I think it gave people pride and courage.”
Encouraged, Mati continued sharing her life and Jewish values online. Then, one day, she received an email inviting her to New York for a job.
“At first, I thought it was a scam, so I ignored it,” she recalled. “Two months later, a friend called me and told me to check my email. I realized it was the same message. I got on a call with them, and the next thing I knew, I was moving to New York to work for this Jewish organization.”
Working with Kii NYC, Mati oversees the organization’s media and marketing and helps host events for young Jewish professionals in New York who haven’t previously felt connected to Judaism.
“We don’t push Judaism on anyone — that’s the last goal,” she said. “Our real aim is to bring people closer with light, love and events that are cool. We host fashion events, women’s rooftop yoga that I run, Shabbat dinners every week — we make it fun and meaningful.”
She added, “Two years ago, I had no idea where I was headed. I’m living in New York for the past 10 months, connecting with other young Jewish professionals and surrounded by love. I couldn’t have asked for more — it’s better than I ever imagined.”
