Australia’s Hanukkah massacre: The horror of being proven right |
Dionne Taylor, of the Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council, described months of escalating threats—culminating in deadly attacks, firebombings, and families now afraid to leave their homes—warning that repeated pleas for protection wentunanswered.
In the days and weeks after the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, a feeling settled over much of the Jewish world — including the vibrant, close-knit community here in Australia. It was a deep, aching numbness. It was as if all the color had drained from life, all the joy had been sucked out, leaving us as hollow, empty shells.
It was profoundly lonely and isolating, a grief that sat heavy in the chest and refused to move. Healing, when it came, was slow and fragile.
And now, after what happened in Sydney on Sunday, it is all happening again.
Two jihadist terrorists — a father and a son — opened fire on Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most iconic and cherished landmarks. A place synonymous with sun, surf and the joys of the carefree Australian lifestyle became the scene of a massacre.
AMICHAI CHIKLI — ISRAEL’S MINISTER FOR COMBATING ANTISEMITISM WARNS MAMDANI WIN A WAKE-UP CALL FOR JEWS
People gather around a tribute for shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion at Sydney's Bondi Beach, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, a day after the shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
Fifteen people were murdered. Many more were wounded. The victims ranged from a 10-year-old child to an 87-year-old elder........