Public abuse, schools graffitied and a fear of being visibly Jewish were just some of the testimonies heard during The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion's first week of hearings.Over the past week, which focused on Jewish Australians' everyday experiences of racism and discrimination, Commissioner Virginia Bell heard from dozens of witnesses, many of whom spoke anonymously out of fear for their safety.While those giving testimony were of different backgrounds, ages and places of residence, several common themes emerged from their evidence to the inquiry launched in response to the December 2025 Bondi terror attack I found myself for the first time since I fled Hungary feeling that my identity was something I should hide."A mother told the enquiry she didn't allow her children to wear their Stars of David in the community and that they had toned down their Jewish visibility out of fear.Many witnesses told the inquiry that, although antisemitism had increased since 7 October 2023, the Bondi terror attack was a profound escalation in anti-Jewish hatred that had left deep scars.The attack sent shockwaves and grief through a tight-knit community for whom the beach has long been a focal point.However, after the 15 December massacre that left 15 people dead, the place is now a site of trauma for many.One woman told the inquiry her daughter now "thinks about dying" every time she visits the beach.A teenager who was locked down at a Bat Mitzvah — a Jewish coming-of-age ritual for females — during the attack said she lived with "constant nightmares".Another woman, whose parents met at Bondi, said the place that was once full of "beautiful memories" now held a "really heavy weight in [the] community's heart"