Dear brothers and sisters in Australia, especially the community of Sydney |
From Jerusalem, the heart of our people, we send you an embrace of sorrow, solidarity, and unwavering love. Our hearts are broken by the brutal terror attack that struck innocent Jews as they gathered to celebrate the first night of Chanukah. We mourn the loss of precious lives taken in sanctification of God’s Name, among them Rabbi Eli Schlanger z”l, a devoted Chabad shaliach. His holy work and selflessness stand as a living testimony to the power of Jewish faith and responsibility.
Once again, terror has been directed at a Jewish community as it gathered to celebrate its faith, a community led with devotion and care by Chabad shluchim. These attacks are carried out in the name of an ideology that glorifies death. Judaism stands in clear contrast: it sanctifies life and calls us to live by God’s ways. Despite attempts to intimidate, the enduring spirit of Israel does not falter, and the........