The deadly terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, left at least 15 dead, including a 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and an elderly couple.
Australian authorities identified the assailants as a father-son duo and said the attack was inspired by ISIS. The father was killed on the scene, while the son was shot by police and taken for medical care.
The youngest victim of the deadly rampage was 10-year-old Matilda Britvan.
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Lina Chernykh, Britvan’s aunt, told Australia’s 9News that her niece was “a happy kid” and “open-hearted.”
“Everywhere she goes, she was like a sun,” Chernykh told the outlet.
Britvan and her six-year-old sister were enjoying the Hanukkah celebrations when the gunmen opened fire, according to 9News. The 10-year-old was shot in front of her sister and was rushed to the hospital, but she could not be saved, 9News reported.
A GoFundMe set up by Britvan’s teacher, Irina Goodhew, describes her as “a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”
“Matilda was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is in the love and compassion we share. Her memory reminds us to carry kindness in our hearts and spread it to the world,” the GoFundMe page reads.
Alex Kleytman, 87, was a Holocaust survivor from Ukraine. He and his wife of 57 years, Larisa Kleytman, who is also a Holocaust survivor, were celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach when the attack began.
Chabad, an international Jewish organization, said that Alex died while shielding Larisa from the gunmen’s bullets. The organization noted that in addition to his wife, Alex leaves behind 11 grandchildren.
“I have no husband. I don’t know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer,” Larisa told reporters outside a Sydney hospital on Sunday, according to the BBC.
“We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down. 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,” Larisa told Australian media, according to the BBC.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and a key organizer of the “Chanukah by the Sea” event, according to Chabad. The organization said that Schlanger had served as a rabbi and chaplain for the Bondi community for 18 years.
In September, Schlanger wrote a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him “not to betray the Jewish people.” The letter, which has garnered renewed attention since the deadly attack, was posted on Schlanger’s Facebook page. Schlanger told Albanese that he had “the opportunity to stand on the side of truth and righteousness.”
The letter was written shortly after Australia voted at the United Nations to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Russian-Jewish couple, confronted one of the gunmen before the attack at Bondi Beach began. While they were able to momentarily disarm him, the assailant grabbed another rifle and killed the couple.
The Gurmans would have celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in January, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family. They were also about to celebrate Sofia’s 62nd birthday on Dec. 17, just days after she was killed.
“They were people of deep kindness, quiet strength, and unwavering care for others. Devoted to their family and to each other, their absence has left a void that cannot be filled,” the GoFundMe reads. “In the moments before their passing, Boris — with Sofia courageously beside him — attempted to intervene to protect others. This act of bravery and selflessness reflects exactly who they were: people who instinctively chose to help, even at great personal risk.”
Edith Brutman served as vice president of an anti-prejudice and anti-discrimination committee at B’nai B’rith New South Wales (NSW), according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ernie Friedlander, the president of the Alfred Dreyfus committee, who worked closely with Brutman, told the Sydney Morning Herald that she was “a very clever lady” who was “passionate about dealing with prejudice and discrimination.”
“She was always there, and she had very strong opinions,” Friedlander added.
The Brutman family gave a statement on Edith’s death to ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), remembering her as “a woman of integrity.”
“Our beloved Edith was a woman of integrity who chose humanity, every day. She met prejudice with principle, and division with service,” the statement read.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (a rabbinic court) and was “deeply involved in Chabad operations in Sydney,” Chabad said. The organization also stated that Levitan worked at the BINA, a center for Jewish learning.
Chabad described Levitan as a “popular coordinator” of the organization’s activities in Sydney, Australia.
“Yaakov Levitan was a profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad read. “He was a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others, including his commitment to distributing tefillin as a sacred act of service.”
“His senseless murder has left an irreplaceable void,” the page added. “Yaakov was the cornerstone of his family: a devoted husband and father.”
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Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French national, was a soccer player for the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club. His death was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
“It’s with immense sadness that we have learned that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the terrorist attack that hit Jewish families gathered on the beach at Bondi in Sydney,” Barrot wrote on X, according to a BBC translation. “We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the Australian people.”
Rockdale Ilinden Football Club released a statement mourning Elkayam, saying that he “loved the Australian way of life.”
“Football was his passion — together with spending time on the beach and socializing with friends. His smiling face and respectful nature will be sorely missed by his teammates and everyone that knew him. We pray for him and for his family,” the football club wrote.
Elkayam lived with his girlfriend, Krystal Troyano, according to a GoFundMe page set up in his honor.
“Dan was taken far too soon, and Krystal is now navigating profound grief while suddenly having to face life on her own,” the page reads.
Peter Meagher was a retired detective sergeant with the NSW Police and a member of the Randwick Rugby Club.
“Peter was working as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event, and, like all victims, it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time,” the club said in a statement. “’Marzo,’ as he was universally known, was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby.”
Randwick Rugby general manager Mark Harrison told ABC that Meagher was “one of the heart and soul figures” of the club.
Meagher’s family also gave a statement to ABC, saying: “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Peter. He was a cherished brother, husband and uncle whose kindness, generosity and love touched everyone who knew him. Our lives have been changed forever.”
Reuven Morrison, who migrated from the USSR to Australia, was attempting to protect his community from the gunmen, despite being unarmed and alone, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The outlet said that Morrison, 62, charged towards the gunmen and appeared to hurl an object towards them.
Though Morrison lived in Melbourne, he was “deeply connected to Sydney,” according to Chabad, which described Morrison as a “beloved member” of the community.
“A successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi, which organized the event,” Chabad wrote on X.
Tibor Weitzen, 78, was remembered in a Chabad post on X as “the congregation’s beloved ‘candyman,’ who brought joy and smiles to everyone.” The organization said that he was killed while trying to shield his loved ones.
“My grandfather was truly the best you could ask for… He was so proud of us… and loved us more than life itself. He only saw the best in people and will be dearly missed,” Weitzen’s granddaughter, Leor Amzalak, told ABC.
Chabad said that Weitzen was identified by his first responder grandson at the scene.
Marika Pogany, 82, was a member of COA Sydney, a volunteer service for Jewish seniors.
“She was not just a long-serving volunteer. She was part of the beating heart of COA and a source of warmth for thousands of people over nearly 3 decades,” COA Sydney wrote on Facebook. “For 29 years she arrived at COA with her quiet smile and her steady kindness. She lifted the room simply by being in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything. She showed us what true service looks like and she did it without fanfare and without ever wanting attention.”
Chabad noted that in 2022 Pogany was recognized for delivering 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels over the course of more than two decades.
