The deadly terror attack on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach was an attack on the Australian way of life, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
Two gunmen killed 15 people, including 10-year-old Matilda, when they opened fire on crowds gathered at Australia’s most famous beach on December 14.
Thursday is a national day of mourning for those killed in the attack, the first since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022.
Flags across the country are flown at half-mast and major institutions are illuminated as the sun sets.
Albanians encouraged all Australians to take part in their own way by leaving a candle on the windowsill or on the sidewalk, with a minute’s silence planned for 7.01pm Sydney time.
“This is a place where nothing should break except the waves. But that night a lot broke,” Albanese said of Bondi.
Anthony Albanese has urged Australians to “wrap our arms around the Jewish community” on this national day of mourning. Source: MONKEY / Mick Tsikas
Led by the Bondi Chabad, the theme for the somber day of national mourning is Light Will Win: A Gathering of Unity and Remembrance.
Echoing this message, Albanians urged Australians to continue to show their support for the Jewish community, as they have done since the terror attack.
“…in the worst of times we once again saw the best of Australian character,” he said on Thursday.
Alex Ryvchin, co-director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said Australians should seek to live up to the image of those who lost their lives by “contributing more, giving more and loving more”.
“Let this be the day we turn our pain and sorrow into a revolution of goodness, of mitzvot (good deeds, big and small) that unites our country and drives out evil. They want to make it dark, but we will bring the light,” he said in a statement.
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has called on Australians to “turn our pain and grief into a revolution of goodness” on a national day of mourning, a month after the Bondi Beach tragedy. Source: MONKEY / Joel Carrett
Albanian and other national leaders will attend a national memorial service at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday evening.
A commemorative installation, 15 Pillars of Light, will also be placed in Australian cities.
In Melbourne, which also has a significant Jewish community, a multi-faith vigil at St Paul’s Cathedral was attended by dignitaries including the Victorian governor, her immediate predecessor and four former and current prime ministers.
As Philip Zajac entered, he expressed optimism that the day could be a stepping stone to bring the country together again.
“This is not just a Jewish event,” said the president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
“What happened on December 14 is an insult to all of Australia.”
Australians are being asked to come together through a mitzvah, an act of kindness or compassion.
This may include giving to others, helping the sick, offering hospitality, or extending kindness to animals.
NSW Premier Chris Minns admitted on Nine’s Today Show that his government had made a “big mistake” and that there were lessons to be learned after the Bondi massacre.
But the Jewish community’s resilience in the face of such adversity has been an inspiration to the rest of the country.
“To the Jewish community, I would like to say thank you,” Minns said in a statement.
“You could have shattered into a million pieces, but instead your strength helped unite the nation.”
The somber day of mourning comes as the community continues to grapple with the aftermath of the terror attack.
“These are not individuals who have lost members of their family,” Michelle Goldman, director of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, told the ABC.
“All Australians have lost something – something has been shattered. And Australia’s innocence has been taken.”
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