You learn who is allowed to be simply human

I wasn’t at Bondi, and didn’t grow up there, but Bondi has lived in me for years because it’s right near where my grandparents, both survivors, lived.

What hurts most is not only the violence, but the way grief now comes with conditions. The way Jewish mourning is so quickly redirected elsewhere, or folded into arguments that have nothing to do with the people who were killed. In moments like this, you learn who is allowed to be simply human.

And yet, I’ve also felt genuine kindness — messages from friends, strangers, people who didn’t try to contextualise or correct my sadness. I love this country, and it’s essential to hold onto its greatest qualities: multiculturalism, tolerance, mateship, fairness, moderation.