On Sunday, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, including a Holocaust survivor and a 10‑year‑old girl.\n\n## Victims\n\n- Matilda Britvan – Ten‑year‑old, identified by her aunt Lina Chernykh. Chernykh told Channel 9 that her niece was \”a happy kid,\” and that their heartbroken family would never recover from their loss. She added, \”Everywhere she goes, she was like a sun.\” Matilda was fatally shot in front of her 6‑year‑old sister Summer.\n\n- Alex Kleytman – 87‑year‑old Holocaust survivor. His wife Larisa Kleytman confirmed his death to The Australian, saying she heard loud \”boom\” sounds before seeing him fall to the ground. She recalled, \”He came on Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah, for us it was always a very, very good celebration, for many, many years.\”\n\n- Dan Elkayam – 27‑year‑old French citizen. Identified by France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean‑Noël Barrot, who said, \”We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the grieving Jewish community and the Australian people.\” President Emmanuel Macron added, \”I am thinking of his family and loved ones and express to them the full solidarity of the nation.\” NBC News confirmed the death with hiring manager Jasmine Love: \”Sadly, I can confirm that he was amongst the victims.\” Rockdale Ilinden FC described him as a \”Frenchman of Jewish faith\” and \”an extremely talented midfield player\” who \”loved the Australian way of life.\”\n\n- Eli Schlanger – Chabad rabbi who helped organize the event. His cousin Zalman Lewis posted on Instagram: \”He was truly an incredible guy.\” Lewis also wrote, \”I knew Eli well enough to know he’d concur,\” and urged the community to pray and light candles. The Chabad of Rural and Regional Australia said, \”Our hearts are shattered.\” Rabbi Motti Seligson added that Schlanger was survived by his wife and five children, one barely two months old, and that he had several siblings in Australia who were \”obviously numb and in shock.\” He praised Schlanger for \”serving his community and really personifying righteousness and service and dedication.\”\n\n- Yaakov Levitan – Another Chabad rabbi. His death was confirmed to Guardian Australia by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, a senior member of Sydney Beth Din. The Chabad organization posted on Instagram that Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din and was deeply involved in Chabad operations.\n\n- Peter Meagher – Former police officer and Randwick Rugby club member. The club’s general manager Mark Harrison called him an \”absolute legend\” and noted he worked as a freelance photographer at the event. Harrison said, \”For him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.\”\n\n- Tibor Weitzen – 78‑year‑old. Identified by his granddaughter Leor Amzalak, who told ABC News, \”He was truly the best you could ask for.\” Amzalak added, \”He was so proud of us … and loved us more than life itself,\” and that Weitzen immigrated from Israel in 1988.\n\n- Marika Pogany – Slovak citizen. Friends quoted by Channel 7 and statements from former president Zuzana Čaputová and current leader Peter Pellegrini identified her as a close friend and expressed condolences. Pellegrini condemned the \”brutal, deadly attack on innocent people\” and said Australia was \”plunged into grief and shock.\”\n\n## Attack Details\n\nHundreds gathered to mark the first day of Hanukkah before the attackers opened fire. The incident left 40 people wounded. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as an act of terrorism.\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- 15 people killed, ages 10 to 87, including a Holocaust survivor, a 10‑year‑old girl, and citizens of France, Slovakia, and Israel.\n- At least 40 wounded.\n- The attack was condemned by Australian and international leaders as terrorism.\n\nThe tragedy has left the Jewish community and the wider Australian public in mourning, as families and friends mourn the loss of loved ones and the community rallies to remember those who perished.
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