Emergency services respond to the terrorist attack on Chanukah on the Beach in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Via X
Two gunmen attacked Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi’s Chanukah event on Bondi Beach killing 11, including Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, hy”d, and injuring many others. The "Chanukah by the Sea" event, which began at 5:30 PM local time, was interrupted by the sound of gunfire at approximately 6:45 PM. Thousands of attendees fled in all directions as the terrorists fired into the crowd. One gunman was interrupted when a middle-aged man heroically charged him and wrestled the long gun from him. He rejoined his accomplice on an elevated bridge before both were neutralized.
December 14 marked the first night of Chanukah, and the Australian Jewish community was ready to be one of the first places on earth to welcome the light of the menorah. The Chanukah event on Bondi Beach has become a crown jewel of the Sydney Jewish community over the decades with thousands attending the family summer event.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, hy”d
Among those murdered was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who organized the event for Chabad of Bondi, where he served as assistant rabbi. Schlanger's in-laws, Rabbi Yehoram and Shternie Ulman, founded Chabad of Bondi decades ago. Schlanger was a devoted rabbi and chaplain, working tirelessly as an emissary of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, to support Jewish life in the Bondi community. He was 41.
A State Emergency Services chaplain named Vlad spoke with Australian TV, and shared that he was attending the event with his eight-year-old son. He pushed his son to the ground and covered him. A security guard was shot nearby and he tried to assist him. Vlad vowed to light Hanukkah candles he purchased at the event at home following the massacre to “keep the show going” and to show that “we are not afraid.”
Since the Oct. 7, terror attacks in Israel in 2023, Australian Jewry has been under attack. Multiple synagogues have been burned or vandalized, Jewish homes and cars have been sprayed with antisemitic graffiti, and massive protests in major cities, including calls for the genocide of Jews and Israel’s destruction, have made it dangerous for Jewish people.
Other victims that have been identified are Reuven Morrison, a member of the Chabad community who divided his time between Melbourne and Sydney, Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor who attended the event with his children and grandchildren.
Speaking to Chabad.org earlier this year about the uptick in antisemitism in Australia, Schlanger noted with pride how attendance at the annual Chanukah at the Beach doubled in response to the anti-Jewish attacks, with the Jewish community refusing to be cowed by the hatred. He also noted that security was heightened in recent years.
Last Chanukah, Schlanger responded to those asking how should Jews respond to antisemitism with a video posted on social media showing the Chabad way in his classically humorous manner. With the caption saying “Here's The Best Response to Combat Antisemitism”, Schlanger danced out of his home towards his car, on top of which he placed a light up portable menorah, encouraging others to join him in sharing the message of light in the face of hate.
In the face of darkness, Schlanger told Chabad.org at the time, the way forward is always the same: “Be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish.”
