Victims of Sydney Beach Massacre: Community Mourns Lives Lost in Antisemitic Terror Attack

A devastating terrorist attack at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach has left 15 people dead after gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration Sunday evening. Australia’s federal police commissioner confirmed the massacre was inspired by the Islamic State group, describing it as an act of antisemitic terrorism.

The victims represented a cross-section of Sydney’s Jewish community – from a 10-year-old child to an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who had sought refuge in Australia decades ago. As the nation grapples with the tragedy, stories of those killed reveal lives defined by compassion, service, and community spirit.

Ten-year-old Matilda, whose family requested her last name be withheld, was the youngest victim of the attack. Her language teacher, Irina Goodhew, described her as a gentle soul who “saw beauty in everyone.” In launching a fundraiser for the family, Goodhew wrote that Matilda “was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is found in the love and compassion we share.”

Assistant rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, had organized the Chanukah by the Sea event where the attack occurred. Born in London, the father of five served as chaplain to the state’s corrective services department and at a Sydney hospital. His friend Ben Wright remembered Schlanger’s dedication to helping others: “Eli was a very special person. He spent a lot of his time trying to get Jews to do one good deed.”

Among the dead was Yaakov Levitan, 39, a rabbi and father of four described by the Chabad movement as a “vital, behind-the-scenes pillar” of Sydney’s Jewish community. Originally from Johannesburg, he served as general manager of Chabad of Bondi and worked with the Sydney Beth Din religious court, known for his kindness and dedication to helping others.

Eighty-two-year-old Marika Pogany, a grandmother and dedicated community volunteer, had delivered thousands of kosher meals to people in need. COA, a Sydney volunteer service for Jewish seniors, mourned her as part of the “beating heart” of their organization. “For 29 years she arrived at COA with her quiet smile and her steady kindness,” they wrote. “She lifted the room simply by being in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything.” Former Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová called Pogany her “long-term close friend.”

Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French national living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with his girlfriend, was remembered by his brother Jérémie as “a golden person” who “profited from life, wasn’t at all materialistic, who understood the value of things and who loved to travel.” The talented soccer player was “warmly embraced by those he met,” according to Dennis Loether, president of Elkayam’s club, Rockdale Ilinden FC.

Peter Meagher, a retired police officer known to friends as “Marzo,” was working as a freelance photographer at the event. The Randwick rugby club, where he volunteered as team manager, called him an “absolute legend” and noted his presence was “simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

Reuven Morrison, 62, died heroically while trying to stop one of the shooters. His daughter Sheina Gutnick told CBS News that her father is seen in video footage throwing bricks at a gunman after another bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, wrestled away the attacker’s weapon. Morrison had migrated to Australia from the Soviet Union five decades ago to escape antisemitic persecution. “This is where he was going to have a family, where he is going to live a life away from persecution,” Gutnick said. “And for many years, he did do that; he lived a wonderful, free life. Until Australia turned on him.”

Perhaps most poignant was the story of 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, who had moved to Australia from Ukraine. His wife Larisa told The Australian newspaper that her husband died protecting her during the attack. “We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down,” she recalled. “At this moment, he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me.” The couple had survived “the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust” as children before finding what they thought would be safety in Australia.

Tibor Weitzen, 78, was another grandfather killed in the attack. His granddaughter Leor Amzalak told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Weitzen, who had migrated from Israel in 1988, “was truly the best you could ask for. He was so proud of us…and loved us more than life itself.”

As Sydney mourns, floral memorials have grown at Bondi Beach, with diplomats, officials and community members laying wreaths and paying respects to those whose lives were cut short in an attack that has shocked Australia and the world.