A 10-year-old girl and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor were among the 15 victims killed after gunfire ripped through a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, turning the festive gathering into a bloodbath.
Two gunmen opened fire during the popular event, killing 16 people, including one of the shooters, and injuring 42 in an attack that authorities are calling a deliberate act of antisemitic terrorism.
The ages of the victims range from a young child to an elderly Holocaust survivor in his late 80s.
While official identification of all those killed has not yet been released, authorities say the attack was unprecedented in its brutality and targeted nature.
“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”
‘Bloodbath’
Witnesses to the attack described scenes of chaos and horror as children screamed, families scattered across the sand, and the sound of gunfire echoed between buildings and surf. What had moments earlier been a vibrant festival – complete with menorah lighting, music, food, face painting and a petting zoo – was reduced in seconds to a scene of carnage, grief, and disbelief.
One of the attendees, human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky, was grazed in the head by a bullet. He had recently moved from Israel to Sydney with his family to work for a Jewish advocacy group.
“What I saw today was pure evil, just an absolute bloodbath. Bodies strewn everywhere,” Ostrovsky told AP. “I never thought would be possible here in Australia.”
Child killed
Among the youngest victims of the massacre was 10-year-old Matilda, who was taken to Sydney children’s hospital, where she died that evening, the Guardian reports.
Matilda’s aunt, Lina, shared the devastating news on Facebook, writing: “A great tragedy has happened to my family. My beloved niece Matilda was killed during a terrorist attack in Bondi Beach. I don’t know how we survive such grief.”
Described by her language teacher as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her,” Matilda’s death has left a deep void in her school and local community.
“We remember Matilda with love, grief, and deep sorrow, and we honor her memory by standing together in compassion,” her teacher, Irina Goodhew, captioned a Facebook post, inviting people to offer support to Matilda’s grieving mother in a GoFundMe campaign.
‘Raised himself up to protect me’,’
Also killed in the attack was Alexander Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor who had rebuilt his life in Australia after surviving the horrors of World War II.
His wife of 50 years, Larisa, survived the attack after Alexander, 87, moved closer to her and shielded her from the gunfire, a final act of devotion that saved her life.
“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 said, per the Guardian.
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” she added, according to People.
Survived ‘unspeakable terror of the Holocaust’
The Kleytmans had shared their Holocaust experiences with JewishCare in 2023. According to the organization’s annual report, Alexander survived brutal conditions in Siberia as a child, where he lived with his mother and brother during the Nazi era.
“As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust. Alex’s memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival,” the 2022-23 annual report shared.
“The scars of the past, however, did not deter them from seeking a brighter future. They later made the move to Australia, immigrating from Ukraine.”
Gunmen identified
According to BBC, the two gunmen have been identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who died at the scene, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram – who remains in hospital in a critical condition.
The outlet reports the two pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, and Albanese said the two men were “clearly” motivated by “extremist ideology.”
Investigations continue into how the gunmen acquired their weapons, their ideological motivations, and whether others were involved. Security has been heightened at religious sites across the world, and Jewish communities are bracing for more difficult days ahead.
Bondi Beach, long a symbol of Australian diversity and freedom, is now a crime scene – etched into collective memory not for sun and surf, but for bloodshed and unimaginable grief.
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