In a tragic incident that has shocked Australia and the world, a mass shooting at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Monday claimed 15 lives, with a local rabbi and a Holocaust survivor identified among the victims. The attack, described as an anti-Semitic terrorist act, also left 42 people hospitalised, including two police officers.
Community Leaders and Heroes Lost
The local Jewish community is mourning the loss of 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a respected leader known for his dedication to service. Schlanger was actively involved in organising community gatherings and had recently helped coordinate a memorial for the Chabad emissaries killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry paid a heartfelt tribute, stating, "Anyone who knew him knew that he was the very best of us. This was a person who rose each day with a mission of doing good. Whatever good he could find, whatever kind deeds he could perform."
In a separate statement, the international Chabad organisation confirmed the death of Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman. A native of Ukraine, Kleytman was at the scene with his wife, Larisa. In a final act of bravery, he died shielding her from the gunman's bullets.
International Tributes Pour In
The attack claimed victims from various walks of life, drawing grief from across the globe. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "profound sadness" at the death of French citizen Dan Elkayam, a budding amateur footballer who was building a new life in Sydney.
"It is with profound sadness that I learned of the death of our compatriot Dan Elkayam in the anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Sydney," President Macron wrote on social media. Elkayam's football club, Sydney's Rockdale Ilinden, remembered him as an "extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates".
A Nation in Mourning
The scale of the tragedy is immense. Police confirmed that the victims ranged from a 10-year-old girl, who later died in a children's hospital, to an 87-year-old. The attack at the popular beachfront location has sent shockwaves through a nation unaccustomed to such violence.
The incident has sparked urgent conversations about public safety and hate-motivated violence in Australia. As investigations continue, the stories of heroism, like that of Alex Kleytman, and community spirit, embodied by Rabbi Schlanger, offer a poignant counterpoint to the senseless act of terror.
The community, along with international observers, now stands in solidarity with the victims' families, grappling with the profound loss and the chilling nature of the Bondi Beach attack.
