“We can’t live in fear.” 92.7 MIX FM’s Archie Arenson shares deeply personal revelation

Sam ‘Archie’ Arenson has been brought to tears while sharing a deeply personal on-air revelation in the wake of the Bondi shooting tragedy.

In his eight years working in commercial radio, Archie – co-host of 92.7 MIX FM Drive on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – has never shared publicly that he is Jewish.

Until now.

“I’ve always been a bit scared. I’ve always been concerned with how people and listeners might treat me differently if they knew this about me.” Archie said yesterday.

“I’ve also wondered if it would cause people to dislike me immediately. Would it cause people to maybe make an assumption of me, based on stereotypes? Would it be such a polarising fact about me as a person that it would make someone not listen to the radio station altogether?”

“Or … would it ever put my personal safety at risk?”

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Having grown up in Sydney and with his parents deeply tied into the city’s Jewish community, Archie has been hugely impacted by the Bondi tragedy.

Archie also revealed his parents were at a Hannukah event in Sydney on the same night of the shooting.

“They just happened to be on the other side of the Harbour Bridge,” Archie said. “Which is really terrifying to think about.”

Archie personally knows one of the people who lost their lives in the Bondi attack.

“I had to make a phone call before the show to my mum and dad, ’cause I had to check with them to make sure that they were OK with me sharing this information on air today, with thousands of people. Because they’re scared for my – and their -safety.”

As Australia tries to process the unimaginable events of Sunday night, Archie has invited other Jewish people on the Sunny Coast to reach out to him if they need support.

“We can’t live in fear,” he said.

 “This cannot happen to any group of people in Australia ever again.”