12/15/2025
I stand with Israel. I stand with Jews everywhere.
What happened at Bondi Beach was not random violence, misdirected rage, or some tragic misunderstanding. It was a deliberate act of antisemitic terrorism carried out during a Hanukkah celebration—Chanukah by the Sea—organised by Chabad of Bondi. Families had gathered to mark the Festival of Lights when two gunmen opened fire.
Among those murdered were Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, secretary of the Sydney Beth Din. Both men were actively helping others put on tefillin at the time of the attack. According to colleagues, Rabbi Schlanger had done so proudly less than thirty minutes before the shooting began. That detail matters.
Tefillin are not props or political symbols. They are among the oldest and most disciplined practices in Judaism, commanded directly in the Torah: to bind them on the arm and between the eyes. The act is about discipline, responsibility, and alignment—binding thought, intention, and action to G-d and to moral law. When a rabbi helps someone put on tefillin, he’s performing an act of service, not protest. He’s strengthening another person’s connection to faith, duty, and ethical restraint.
The last known images of these men are of quiet devotion. Helping others fulfil a mitzvah. Doing the work they had dedicated their lives to. Authorities have confirmed the murders were antisemitic terrorism.
And this was not an isolated incident. Antisemitic attacks are accelerating worldwide—across Europe, Australia, North America, and beyond. Synagogues, schools, public celebrations, and even moments of private prayer are being targeted. What was once whispered is now shouted. What was once hidden is now brazen.
This isn’t about partisan politics or borders. It’s about the right of Jews to live openly, safely, and without fear. To stand with Israel is to stand against antisemitism. To stand with Jews everywhere is to stand against the oldest hatred in human history.
Silence isn’t neutrality. Indifference is not wisdom. Excuses are no longer acceptable. We must be clear, united, and unflinching in opposing antisemitism in all its forms—whether it appears as violence, intimidation, erasure, or moral relativism.
Light was targeted at Bondi Beach because light exposes darkness. We don’t honour the dead by looking away. We honour them by remembering who they were, how they lived, and what they stood for. May the memories of Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan be a blessing, and may we choose unity, courage, and truth now—before more light is extinguished.
