Bondi Beach Shines a Light for 15 Fallen Souls

SYDNEY:  At exactly 6:47 PM, Bondi Beach fell silent. One week prior, that same moment was shattered by gunfire. On Sunday, it was filled with the flicker of a thousand candles and a single beam of light piercing the Sydney sky.

The vigil was a sea of yellow—the favorite color of 10-year-old Matilda, affectionately known as “Bee.” Her father, Michael, lit the final candle of a memorial menorah as a montage of the 15 victims played on giant screens. Among those honored were:

• Rabbi Eli Schlanger (41): A beloved chaplain and father of five.
• Alexander Kleytman (87): A Holocaust survivor from Ukraine who lived for his family.
• Peter Meagher: A “legend” of the Randwick Rugby Club.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane shared a harrowing firsthand account of the night. Arriving as the attack was still unfolding, she described the “pop, pop, pop” of gunfire and the frantic efforts of surf lifesavers. “A lifesaver told me, ‘grab bandages… plug the holes,'” Sloane recalled. “I ended up sitting next to people and holding their hands, putting blankets over people who we couldn’t help anymore.”

The father of 10-year-old victim Matilda lights the final candle of the menorah.

Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky delivered a message from the global Jewish community, noting that the 50,000-strong crowd was “Eli Schlanger’s dream”—thousands of Jews and non-Jews standing shoulder to shoulder.

“One week ago, terror came to this place,” Kotlarsky said. “But tonight, you have reclaimed these sands.”

The night concluded with a rendition of the national anthem and a nationwide gesture of “light over darkness,” with houses across Australia placing candles on their windowsills in unity with the Jewish community.