Two Jewish lobby groups are trying to cancel a singer from cult Australian band TISM because he uses a stage name including the word “Hitler” and over a satirical song about Nazis from 1988.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) and the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) spoke out against TISM founding member Peter Minack, who has been performing as Ron Hitler-Barassi since 1983 and is a teacher at Catholic girls’ school Sacred Heart College in Oakleigh, Melbourne.
AJA chief executive Robert Gregory and the ADC’s Dr Dvir Abramovich both suggested it was inappropriate for Mr Minack to be teaching children due to his TISM persona and the song The Ballad Of The Semitic Nazi.
The satirical song includes the lyrics “They circumcised me at the Nuremburg rally” and “I’m responsible for millions of deaths”, which Mr Gregory said was “highly offensive”.
“The teaching profession carries significant responsibility, and it is not a role suited to everyone,” he told the Herald Sun.
“Teachers are role models for the children placed in their care. Many parents would likely be deeply disturbed by some of the lyrics and song titles associated with the band TISM.
“Material that appears to mock aspects of the holocaust, together with the use of Hitler’s name as part of a stage persona, is highly offensive to the Jewish community and entirely inappropriate for someone entrusted with educating young Australians.”
The AJA told Noticer News it was “false” to say they were trying to cancel Mr Minack, and said: “We have not called for anyone to be cancelled. People are free to express their views, and others are free to form judgments about them.”
Dr Abramovich said “every parent” at Mr Minack’s school deserved answers to questions about the appropriateness of the stage name, the song and a TISM performance in Melbourne scheduled for October 7.
“We consider it entirely appropriate for the school community, including parents, the school board, and the Catholic education office, to be aware of this association and to consider whether it is consistent with the values their school represents and the duty of care owed to their students, particularly their Jewish students,” he said.
Dr Abramovich regularly calls for new “hate speech” laws and bans of groups he dislikes, and his ADC is a registered charity that received $6 million in government grants disbursed between 2020 and 2024 to expand an online “anti-hate” program and “a digital national network of certified holocaust educators”.
Sacred Heart Girls’ College principal Julie Swanson said Mr Minack, who has been Head of Arts at the school for 15 years, was on leave.
“Our college has zero tolerance for conduct or behaviour that does not align with our Catholic values and our code of conduct, including actions or expressions that are hateful or harmful to others. When individuals fall short of these standards, we take action in line with our policies,” she said.
The AJA posted the Herald Sun’s article on its Facebook page where it received mainly negative reactions from followers, with many pointing out TISM are known to use satire in their music.
“Great advertising for their upcoming tour. Clearly this is satire, get with the program. Don’t be like the loony left and try to cancel everything!” said one Aussie.
“TISM are iconic and incredibly valuable to the history of Australian music & arts. If you don’t understand satire, just say that,” said another.
“Pick your battles AJA, this one is a bit trivial IMO,” wrote a third.
Dr Abramovich also posted about the article on Facebook and provoked a similar response, resulting in him turning off comments.
“Dvir perhaps on this occasion you need to have a closer look at the band and its work over 40 years. They are heavily satirical. I have been a fan since the eighties and when you look at their complete oeuvre of work in context, you would see that this story is overblown in the extreme,” read the most popular reply.
TISM, which stands for “this is serious, Mum” and whose members were anonymous throughout the 80s and 90s, last month announced their first tour in 30 years after a show at the Sydney Opera House where the group and the audience caused $19,000 worth of damage to the Concert Hall.
Header image: Main, TISM. Inset left, Mr Gregory. Inset right, Dr Abramovich.
