The New South Wales government—the Australian state where the Bondi massacre in Sydney took place last Sunday—has launched a campaign asking all its citizens to perform “one mitzvah” in honor of the 15 people murdered in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, the dozens injured, and the community at large.
The “One Mitzvah for Bondi” campaign, announced by Premier Chris Minns at the final night of Chanukah celebrations at Bondi Beach last week, represents a departure from typical governmental responses to tragedy. Rather than offering only condolences and increased security, NSW has embraced a distinctly Jewish concept and vocabulary to unite the state in response to an antisemitic massacre.
“A mitzvah is a simple but powerful idea: a concrete act of goodness, something you do that makes the world more just, more compassionate, more humane,” Minns said at the launch. “The One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign is inspired by Rabbi Eli Schlanger.”
Schlanger, 41, the assistant rabbi of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, was murdered at the “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration on Dec. 14. He had long advocated that the proper response to antisemitism was not to hide Jewish identity but for Jews to increase their Jewish observance and for one and all to perform more acts of goodness.
As he told Chabad.org prior to Chanukah 2024, during a spate of antisemitic attacks in Australia: “Be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish.”
‘We Have to Increase in Light’
The campaign emerged from an emergency session of the NSW Faith Affairs Council held the day after the attack. Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper convened faith leaders from across the state and posed a direct question: What could the broader community do to support the Jewish community at this moment?
Rabbi Nochum Schapiro of Sydney’s Chabad North Shore responded with two requests: Stand with the Jewish community unambiguously, and do one mitzvah—an act of kindness or charity to bring light into the world.
Rabbi Eli Feldman, rabbi of the Newtown Synagogue and director, with his wife Elka, of Young Adult Chabad, has been instrumental in organizing the campaign. “The minister loved it,” he said of Kamper’s response. “He said: ‘let’s do it!’” The campaign was immediately put to action.
The decision to use the Hebrew word “mitzvah” rather than translate it was intentional and significant, said Elka Feldman. “Minister Kamper was inspired to bring the message and mission of the Jewish people to the community of NSW.”
A Governmental First
Governmental responses to terror attacks sometimes focus on much-needed security measures, but more often than not veer towards vigils and generic calls for unity—before life continues and people move on.
“Such a governmental response to a tragedy is unprecedented,” Rabbi Feldman noted. “To take such a proudly Jewish and meaningful concept and apply it so broadly and so explicitly is truly groundbreaking.”
The initiative encourages Australians to undertake concrete actions—donating blood, volunteering, calling someone they haven’t spoken to in a while, buying a neighbor coffee, supporting local businesses or helping those in need—and to share their actions using #OneMitzvahforBondi or by registering at nsw.gov.au/onemitzvah.
“At the core of our faith communities is a commitment to love and compassion,” said Dr. Michael Stead, chairman of the NSW Faith Affairs Council. “The NSW Faith Affairs Council encourages everyone to take part in the ‘One Mitzvah for Bondi’ campaign, to spread warmth and kindness to our fellow Australians.”
Living Rabbi Schlanger’s Vision
Kamper, NSW’s minister of multiculturalism, emphasized the campaign’s roots in Jewish resilience and its applicability to all Australians. “In the face of this terrible atrocity, our Jewish community has responded with remarkable kindness and compassion,” he said. “This call to action is the remedy our heartbroken city requires at this time.”
According to Feldman, the response has been overwhelming. “It’s been well received in the community. People are inspired,” he said. One journalist who reached out to cover the campaign told the rabbi that she was so
