Mass shooting at Jewish event on Bondi Beach follows rising antisemitism in Australia

At least 11 people were killed Sunday in an attack on a Hannukah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swiftly condemning it as an act of antisemitic terrorism. Among the dead was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a key organizer of the event and member of Chabad of Bondi, according to the international Orthodox Jewish movement.

The attack comes amid a troubling surge in antisemitism across Australia. According to Uriya Shavit, who oversees Tel Aviv University’s annual global antisemitism report, Australia experienced one of the world’s largest increases in antisemitic incidents in 2024, recording 1,713 such events.

“This was really one of the safest communities for Jews in history, characterized by religious tolerance and coexistence, and now Australian Jews are seriously asking whether they have a future in the country,” Shavit noted, pointing to increasing legitimization of hatred toward Jews in public discourse and what he described as the government’s insufficient response.

Australia, home to approximately 117,000 Jews in a population of 28 million, has historically been considered a safe haven for the Jewish community. However, tensions have escalated significantly since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with antisemitic incidents particularly concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, where 85% of the country’s Jewish population resides.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry issued a statement calling for concrete action beyond mere words: “The time for talking is over. We need decisive leadership and action now to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism from Australia’s public life, for which the Jewish community has long been advocating. Government’s first duty is to keep its citizens safe.”

This attack represents a disturbing escalation following other serious incidents in recent months. In August, Prime Minister Albanese accused Iran of orchestrating two antisemitic attacks in Australia — arson attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney in October 2024, and on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue two months later. These allegations were serious enough for Australia to sever diplomatic relations with Tehran. Authorities have not yet indicated whether Sunday’s attack has any connection to Iran.

The shooting occurred during a ceremony marking the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday that began December 14. Hanukkah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century B.C. and is celebrated by lighting candles on a menorah over eight nights.

Chabad, the organization behind the public celebration, has a long tradition of holding public menorah lightings at Bondi Beach that typically attract hundreds of participants. Founded in Brooklyn, New York, Chabad focuses on expanding Jewish observance by dispatching emissaries worldwide, often to areas with minimal Jewish presence. The movement now operates in more than 100 countries and has maintained a presence in Australia for decades.

These emissaries, known as shluchim, are typically married couples who establish outreach programs and are recognizable by their traditional attire — men in black suits and hats, women in modest dress with head coverings. Tragically, this is not the first attack targeting Chabad representatives; in 2008, nine people were killed at a Chabad house in Mumbai, India, and in 2019, a shooting at a Chabad synagogue near San Diego left one dead and three injured.

The attack has sent shockwaves through Australia’s Jewish community and raised serious questions about security and the rise of antisemitism in a country once considered a safe haven. As authorities investigate the tragedy, community leaders are demanding meaningful action to address what they see as a growing threat to their safety and place in Australian society.