Hundreds gathered under somber skies in Sydney on December 17, 2025, as the city’s Jewish community began to bury its dead—victims of a mass shooting that tore through a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach just days earlier. The first of 15 funerals took place at a local synagogue, only blocks from the site of Sunday’s attack, where grief and disbelief mingled with calls for resilience and unity.
According to NPR, the violence struck at the heart of a festive gathering marking the first night of Hanukkah on December 14. What should have been a joyous occasion instead became a scene of horror, leaving 15 people dead, including a 10-year-old girl and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. The massacre has shaken not just Sydney’s Jewish community, but the entire nation, raising urgent questions about security and the threat of terrorism in Australia.
The first to be mourned was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, the assistant rabbi at Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi. Known for his boundless energy and compassion, Schlanger was remembered as “an angel” and “the heart and soul of the synagogue,” as Rabbi Moshe Gutnick told CBS News. Schlanger leaves behind five children, the youngest only seven weeks old. His father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, spoke through tears at the service, saying, “It is unthinkable that we talk about you in the past tense. In the community, he was there for everybody—a person who lived to 41 years and achieved what a person doesn’t achieve in an age double to him.”
Security was tight around the synagogue, with police checking identification at every entrance—a stark contrast to the criticized lack of protection at Sunday’s beach event. The heavy police presence underscored both the grief and the fear still gripping the community. Rabbi Gutnick, whose brother-in-law Reuven Morrison was also killed in the attack, reflected on the emotional toll: “It’s just one after the other after the other. It’s our 7th of October,” he said, drawing a comparison to the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023 that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, as reported by CBS News.
The attack itself unfolded with chilling speed. According to police statements cited by NPR, two gunmen opened fire on the Hanukkah gathering. The suspects were later identified as Sajid Akram, 50, an Indian national who emigrated to Australia in 1998, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24, an Australian-born citizen. Sajid Akram was killed by police at the scene, while his son was shot and left in a coma. Naveed Akram awoke in a Sydney hospital on December 16 and was quickly charged by video link with a staggering 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon explained to NPR that authorities waited until Akram’s medical condition stabilized before pressing charges, emphasizing the need for the suspect to have “appropriate cognitive ability at the time.”
As reported by CNN and NBC News, the investigation swiftly concluded that the attack was a terrorist act inspired by the Islamic State group, a listed terrorist organization in Australia. The fact that Naveed Akram was legally licensed to own a gun, as NBC News noted, has prompted renewed debate over Australia’s gun laws, which had long been regarded as among the world’s strictest following reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The revelation has left many Australians unsettled, wondering how such a tragedy could occur despite decades of tight regulation.
Among the fallen was Reuven Morrison, 62, who, according to CBS News, died while heroically hurling stones at one of the attackers in a desperate bid to protect others. Morrison’s daughter described his actions with pride and heartbreak, a sentiment echoed by many who attended the funerals. The loss of life has been felt deeply throughout Sydney’s Jewish community, which, as NBC News reported, is tightly knit and now faces the daunting task of mourning and recovery. Rabbi Gutnick, who expects to attend many more funerals in the coming days, captured the collective anguish: “We are all going to miss him terribly.”
The night before the funerals began, crowds gathered at Bondi Beach for a candlelight vigil, honoring the victims and seeking solace in shared grief. Songs in Hebrew filled the air, and prayers were offered for the dead and the wounded. The community’s pain was palpable, but so too was its determination to stand together. “After what happened, my biggest regret was—apart from the obvious—I could have done more to tell Eli more often how much we love him, how much I love him, how much we appreciate everything that he does and how proud we are of him,” said Rabbi Ulman, as reported by CBS News.
The scope of the tragedy extends beyond the Jewish community. Sajid Akram’s death and his son’s alleged crimes have stunned their own neighbors. Sajid, an immigrant who had lived in Australia for nearly three decades, was killed during the attack, while Naveed, after waking from his coma, now faces the full weight of the law. According to NPR, he is being represented by a government-funded legal aid service and remains under police guard in the hospital, with another court appearance scheduled for next week via video link.
Australian officials have been quick to denounce the violence and express solidarity with the Jewish community. In a televised address, the Prime Minister assured mourners, “We stand with you,” as reported by NBC News. The government has promised a thorough investigation and a review of security protocols for religious and public events. Yet, for many, these assurances offer little comfort in the face of such profound loss.
For Sydney’s Jewish community, the days ahead will be marked by grief, remembrance, and a search for answers. The funerals will continue, one after another, as families and friends lay their loved ones to rest. The pain is raw, but so too is the resolve to remember those lost and to ensure that their lives—and their deaths—are not forgotten.
As the city mourns, the memory of Rabbi Schlanger and the other victims lingers, a reminder of both the fragility of peace and the enduring strength of community in the face of tragedy.
