10-Year-Old Girl and Holocaust Survivors Among 15 Killed in Bondi Beach Hanukkah Attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A young girl and two Holocaust survivors were among 15 people shot and killed during a Jewish Hanukkah festival gathering on Australia’s Bondi Beach, in what authorities are treating as a targeted, anti-Semitic attack that has shaken the nation and drawn international condemnation.

Police said the shooting unfolded on Sunday when a father and son opened fire on the crowd. The elder attacker, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed in a shootout with police, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed, remains in a coma in hospital.

The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. While authorities have not formally released all names, ten of the victims have been publicly identified.

Among them was 10-year-old Matilda, who died in hospital from her injuries. Her aunt, Lina Chernykh, told Australian television that Matilda’s six-year-old sister witnessed the attack. “She saw everything,” Chernykh said, describing the younger child as deeply traumatized.

Remembering Matilda, she added: “I hope people remember her like a beautiful, sweet child, like sunshine, like light in your life. My family will never be the same.”

The oldest victim was 87-year-old Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor originally from Ukraine. His wife, Larisa, recalled the chaos of the moment, saying he moved closer to her as gunfire erupted, trying to stay by her side.

Another Holocaust survivor, 82-year-old Marika Pogany, was seated in the front row when the shooting began. The Chabad movement, which organized the event, remembered her as an “amazing person” who had spent decades delivering kosher meals to those in need.

Several victims were hailed for acts of courage. Reuven Morrison, a 62-year-old businessman who migrated from the Soviet Union in the 1970s, was praised by his family for attempting to distract the gunmen by throwing bricks. His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, said he was killed “for being Jewish… while protecting lives.”

Tibor Weitzen, 78, was fatally shot while shielding a longtime friend. His grandson, Mendy Amzalak, said he arrived as a first responder and found his grandfather’s body after attempting to help the wounded.

The attack also claimed the life of Dan Elkayam, a French citizen and amateur footballer building a new life in Sydney. French President Emmanuel Macron described his killing as part of an “anti-Semitic terrorist attack,” while Elkayam’s club, Rockdale Ilinden, remembered him as a talented and popular teammate.

Peter Meagher, a retired police detective sergeant and rugby enthusiast, was on a freelance photography assignment at the festival when he was killed. His family said they were “heartbroken,” noting the tragic irony that he survived years on the front line only to die while pursuing his passion in retirement.

Religious and community leaders were also among the dead. Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, a father of four, was known for founding initiatives to support charities and for his tireless community work.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, known locally as the “Bondi Rabbi,” helped organize the gathering and served as a chaplain for New South Wales correctional services and a major hospital. Jewish leaders described him as “the very best of us,” a man “full of light.”

Also killed was Edith Brutman, an anti-discrimination worker with B’nai B’rith NSW. Colleagues described her as deeply committed to combating prejudice and hatred.

Australian authorities continue to investigate the attack, while Jewish communities across the country and abroad mourn the victims and renew calls for vigilance against rising anti-Semitism.