A message from TJI at this time of profound grief

We are all reeling. We wake today to an Australia that will never be the same. A Chanukah celebration on Bondi beach has become the scene of the most devastating terrorist attack in Australian history, an act of antisemitism unparalleled in this country. This is a moment of profound devastation.

Last night Sydney’s Chevra Kadisha, the Jewish burial society, was overwhelmed because there were so many bodies to prepare for burial. Our home, the place that gave many of our parents and grandparents refuge, became a place where it was dangerous to be Jewish. The good name of Australia was stained with Jewish blood.  

The giant Menorah, the ancient symbol of redemption which was supposed to be lit on Bondi Beach, remained dark. That darkness will always cast a shadow over what it is to be an Australian Jew. We are changed today and we are grieving.

We at The Jewish Independent share in this moment of profound mourning for our community. We will continue to work to ensure you are informed and connected at a time our community needs to be together. We are providing a space to share your thoughts and feelings through our Bondi Massacre Community Reflections page.

As we deal with the profound grief let us not be wholly disillusioned with Australia. Let us take comfort in the many messages of support we have received from non-Jewish Australians and from people around the world.

Let us think not only of the evil men who opened fire on families celebrating peacefully but also of the righteous among the nations, a Muslim greengrocer named Ahmed el Ahmed, who is now recovering in hospital after heroically disarming one of the assailants.