Eight Hanukkah candles were lit in honor of victims and heroes during a vigil at the site of the Bondi Beach Massacre on Sunday, as the Jewish community and Australian government observed a national day of mourning and launched a good deeds campaign in honor of the fallen and wounded.
At the Light Over Darkness: Night of Unity commemoration, each candle was lit by a representative of those who brought light into the world at a dark time. Paramedics, Hatzalah volunteers, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Bondi Beach lifeguards, and Israeli ZAKA responders were among those who lit a branch.
The honor of sparking the kindling shamash flame was given to Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed, the father of the wounded hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, who attempted to disarm one of the shooters.
The children of slain rabbis Eli Schlanger and Yaakov Levitan lit another candle, and the last was lit by Michael Britvan, in memory of his daughter Matilda, who was the youngest casualty in the attack.
The menorah’s lights were joined by a kindling of candles and a moment of silence across the country, at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Buildings were lit up in yellow for the evening, and a light was beamed into the sky from the Bondi pavilion, as part of an official Day of Reflection.
'The Jewish response to terror is never fear'
Merkos Executive Director Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, representing Chabad HQ, said that people all over the world were lighting Hanukkah candles in honor of Sydney, including in cities that had rarely seen such displays.
“The Jewish response to terror is never fear, it is never retreat, it is never silence, but our response is more light, more life, more goodness, more building, more doing, more mitzvahs,” said Kotlarsky. “We are not going to say never again, we are going to do never again.”
While last Sunday the Jewish community was prevented from lighting even one candle, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, father-in-law of Schlanger, noted that now they were able to light eight. And, when 1,000 people had attended the tragic first lighting, 20,000 had come to light on the final day.
“The darkness does not get the final word,” said Ulman. “Light will win.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co CEO Alex Ryvchin said that his family had participated every year at the Bondi Hanukkah candle lighting.
“I didn’t know I was putting us in harm’s way,” said Ryvchin. Despite his fears, however, he was unwilling to hide his Jewish identity.
He would return for next year’s candle lighting, in accordance with what Schlanger would have wanted, and asked others to join him.
Ulman called on the thousands of participants to engage of acts of kindness on behalf of each of the fifteen victims, Mathilda Bee Britvan, Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris Gurman, Sofia Gurman, Alex Kleytman, Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak, and Tibor Weitzen. He offered a lesson from each of their attributes and actions. He noted that his son-in-law treated everyone as though they were precious, be they “prisoner or prime minister,” and asked others to follow in his example.
NSW Premier Chris Minns announced that after a meeting with the rabbinical leadership of Sydney, the state government was collaborating in a “mitzvah” campaign, inspired by the spirit of Schlanger. A NSW government “one mitzvah for Bondi” portal was opened for Australians to submit their good deeds in honor of Bondi victims.
“In Jewish tradition, a mitzvah is an act of kindness, compassion, and a moral responsibility. It is about taking practical action to help others, through simple, everyday acts of kindness that together create a powerful wave of goodwill. When these acts are carried out collectively, they strengthen the community and bring light in moments of darkness,” explained the website. “This can be as simple as checking in on a neighbor, volunteering time, offering support to a local business, or donating to those in need.”
Politicians and Jewish leaders cited the acts of support by Australians toward their Jewish community. Minns noted the importance of acts both large and small to show solidarity, such as on Friday when thousands of surfers paddled in the surf in a show of unity. ECAJ president Daniel Aghion said that he found hope in the flower bouquets laid outside synagogues by supporters. NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said that the light amid the darkness could be seen in the mass outpouring of support – thousands donating blood, the long lines of mourners waiting to pay tribute, and the courage of the first responders.
Heroes like al-Ahmed were praised by the speakers, with Ossip sharing a message from the wounded good Samaritan: “Today, I stand with you, my brothers and sisters.”
Wounded teenage survivor Chaya Dadon, who left cover to protect other children, told the crowd that she felt that she had a mission from God to protect others. In that moment, Dadon wasn’t frightened because she had her mission and wanted others to find the same inspiration.
“Be the light in that field of darkness. They’re just going to make us stronger,” said Dadon. “We’re getting stronger as a nation, and sometimes growing hurts.”
Several rabbis recited prayers for the dead and recovery for the wounded, and singer David Campbell sang Waltzing Matilda in memory of Mathilda. Little Bee balloons could be seen floating in the crowd, a reference to the ten-year-old girl’s middle name.
Minns thanked the Jewish community, explaining that they had retaken the beach for all of Australia.