Community message
- Published
- Community Message
OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN, OUR COMMUNITY IS STRONG
A tribute to the victims of Bondi and a call to stand together against antisemitism.
Dear friends,
TRIBUTE TO THE SOULS TAKEN
The terrorist attack at Bondi Beach has left our hearts shattered. Ordinary moments of joy, family and freedom were stolen in an instant, and innocent lives were taken in a place that should symbolise safety and openness. We mourn each victim, honour their memory, and hold their loved ones in our thoughts at this unbearable time.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger (41) – Community rabbi, mensch, father and husband
The husband and father of 5, Schlanger and his wife, Chayala, celebrated the birth of their youngest child, a boy, in October. I spoke to someone in Sydney today, a man who was injured last night, he told me, “My friend Rabbi Eli is dead. He was the nicest guy”.
Dan Elkayam (27) – the football player, the colleague, the teammate.
Dan was a football player, an engineer and a traveller. A French Jew who chose to celebrate the first night of Chanukah on Bondi Beach. “Dan will always remain part of our club,” his Sydney football team posted today on social media.
Alex Kleytman (87) – the Holocaust survivor, the grandparent.
Alex Kleytman, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor attended the event with his children and grandchildren. He died protecting his wife, Larisa, from the gunman’s bullets. He leaves an amazing legacy, 11 grandchildren.
Reuven Morrison (62) – Soviet migrant who made a wonderful life in Australia, dies a husband and father.
Reuven came to Sydney from the Soviet Union in the 1970’s. It was here in Australia, for the first time in his life, that he was able to discover and celebrate his Jewish identity.
Matilda Britvan (10) – A precious little girl who had so much of her life to live
Matilda leaves behind a six year old sister, grieving parents and a life unlived. We weep for Matilda.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan – Committed community member
Rabbi Levitan was the Secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, one of the Jewish community’s core religious bodies. He was also the administrator of a community library and resource centre in Sydney, and the founder of a tap-and-pay donation tool for charities. A mensch.
Tibor Weitzen (78) – Loving family man who died shielding a family friend
Husband, father and grandfather, fatally murdered while shielding a family friend from gunfire. He was the Chabad Bondi lollipop man and would hand out sweets to children in shule.
Peter “Marzo” Meagher (61) – Community volunteer, photographer, former police officer
Peter was at Bondi Beach taking photos when he was tragically killed. Meagher was a former police officer, a dedicated volunteer to his local rugby club, a husband and a father.
Marika Pogany (82) – Grandmother and lifelong volunteer
A dedicated volunteer who spent more than two decades volunteering, delivering over 12,000 kosher meals to seniors and others in the Jewish community who were in need.
Boris (69) and Sofia Gurman (61) – Loving and Courageous Grandparents
Boris and Sofia Gurman, a popular local couple who had emigrated to Australia from Russia, died after courageously trying to disarm an attacker in an effort to protect others.
Edith Brutman – Gracious and devoted community leader
Edith was a woman of deep integrity who chose humanity every day. She met prejudice with principle and division with service, and was a gracious and devoted community leader, serving as vice-president of the NSW branch of B’nai B’rith.
Boris Tetleroyd - a beloved husband and father
Boris and his son were at the Chanukah event in Bondi, when they were both shot. Boris was murdered, while his son remains in hospital with serious injuries.
Adam Smyth (50) – father of four
Adam was walking along Bondi Beach with his wife Katrina when they found themselves in the middle of the horrific terrorist attack, which took his life.
Tania Tretiak (68) – cherished grandmother
Tania was attending the Chanukah event with family when the deadly shooting broke out on Sunday night. Her husband remains in hospital critical condition.
As we remember those who were killed, we do so with dignity and resolve. Their lives mattered. They deserve to be remembered not for the hatred that took them, but for the humanity, love and promise they carried. May their memories be a blessing.
A COMMUNITY GRIEVING TOGETHER
In the days since the attack, our community has been grieving deeply. Many of us feel shock, sorrow, anger and fear, emotions made heavier by the knowledge that this violence was driven by antisemitic hatred. Yet alongside the pain, we have also seen strength. We have come together to comfort one another, to stand visibly and proudly as Jews, and to say clearly that terror will not define us.
At moments like this, community matters more than ever. Being together, checking in on one another, and refusing to turn away from grief is how we endure and how we heal.
SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY
As we have shared previously, support remains available for anyone in our community who needs it in the wake of recent events. Jewish Community Crisis Management continues to coordinate psychological and wellbeing support across Victoria, bringing together trusted services in a culturally appropriate way.
If you, or someone you know, would benefit from professional support, information and access remain available at JCCM.
TURNING SUPPORT INTO ACTION: EDUCATE 10,000
In the days following the Bondi attack, our community was met with an outpouring of support from across Australia. We are deeply grateful for that solidarity.
Educate 10,000 is a new JCCV initiative aimed at our non-Jewish allies, inviting them to turn that support into meaningful action. The campaign calls on individuals and organisations to pledge to undertake Jewish cultural awareness training in 2026, helping build understanding, challenge prejudice and create safer communities.
We encourage you to share this initiative with friends, colleagues and networks who want to stand with the Jewish community and play a practical role in combating antisemitism in Australia.
LOOKING AHEAD
On Thursday evening, many in our community gathered for a town hall to reflect on the week’s events and to consider what comes next. At the town hall, JCCV CEO Naomi Levin outlined the work now underway to ensure the solidarity shown to our community leads to lasting and meaningful change.
Naomi spoke about the need for sustained action beyond the immediate moment. While we welcome the Australian Government’s acceptance of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism’s recommendations, governments cannot address this challenge alone. The JCCV is now developing a 10-point plan to address antisemitism in Victoria, to be put to both the Victorian Government and the Opposition, with a focus on long-term engagement across political, civic, faith and community leadership.
This moment demands resolve, clarity and collective effort. We will continue to advocate, to educate and to lead, while living proud Jewish lives rooted in care for one another and for the generations who follow.
