Holocaust survivor, London-born rabbi and 10-year-old girl among victims of Bondi beach terror attack | Bondi beach terror attack

At least 16 people were killed and more than 40 people were injured when gunmen opened fire on Hanukkah celebrations on Bondi beach, which Australian police and authorities described as a terrorist attack.

In the latest update on Monday morning, New South Wales premier Chris Minns confirmed 16 people had died, including one of the alleged gunmen, and 42 people injured in the shooting had been taken to hospital.

The dead have not yet been officially identified, but police said they believe they were between 10 and 87 years old.

Here are the victims whose names have been announced so far.

matilda

The 10-year-old girl killed in the attack was identified as Matilda. Her aunt Lina gave Guardian Australia permission to publish her name and photos with her mother’s approval.

“A great tragedy has befallen my family,” he wrote on social media. “My beloved niece Matilda was killed in the terrorist attack on Bondi beach. I don’t know how we survived so much pain.”

Matilda was taken to Sydney children’s hospital on Sunday night, where she later died.

He was a former pupil of Harmony Russian school in Sydney and said he was “deeply saddened to learn of his death”.

“His memory will remain in our hearts and we honor his life and the time he spent as part of our school family,” the school said in a statement posted on social media. he said.

Language teacher Irina Goodhew described him as “a bright, cheerful and energetic child who lit up everyone around him”.

Peter Meagher

Peter Meagher, also known as Marzo, died in Bondi on Sunday. He was a long-time volunteer at Randwick rugby club and his death was confirmed in a statement on Monday.

The statement said Meagher was working as a freelance photographer for the Chanukah Seaside event and described his death as “a catastrophic event caused by being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

It was stated that Meagher was “a much-loved figure and an absolute legend at our club” and “one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby”. He had served as the club’s first-year manager for most of the last decade and was previously a highly respected referee.

“Peter served in the NSW Police Force for almost forty years of his professional life and retired as a Detective Sergeant where he was highly respected by his Police colleagues,” the statement said.

The club said Meagher was a “much-loved figure” and training wouldn’t feel the same without him.

Tibor Weitzen

Tibor Weitzen’s grandson Mendy Amzalak He told The Australian his grandfather was “a man full of life, joy, smiles and laughter” who died protecting a family friend from bullets.

Amzalak said that he was one of the first to respond to the scene when he came across his grandfather’s body. “My family were there for the event and my wife called me so I ran to the beach with my defibrillator and the shooting was still going on. I started treating people and then I came across her body,” he told The Australian.

His grandson, Leor Amzalak, confirmed Weitzen’s death to Guardian Australia.

Eli Schlanger

London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was the first victim whose name was released.

Jewish News reported The father-of-five, who is an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, a Jewish cultural centre, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his family members attend Kinloss synagogue in Finchley. His first cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, who lives in Brighton, described Schlanger as “a very friendly, outgoing person who was lively, energetic, full of life and loved helping people.”

He told the Jewish News: “How could the life of a cheerful rabbi who went to the beach to spread happiness and light, to make the world a better place, end this way?

“We can only respond by doing what Eli would have wanted, what he had devoted his life to: by doing more mitzvot.” [good deeds] and continue to spread positive energy.”

Schlanger and his wife, Chayala, celebrated the birth of their youngest child, a boy, in October.

Alex Ryvchin, co-chairman of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, which represents the Australian Jewish community, told ABC Schlanger was “a person who embodied goodness, piety and holiness, literally living for no reason other than to do good.”

“I was praying, please don’t let it happen. I don’t know what we would do as a society without it,” Ryvchin said.

Rabbi Yossi Friedman said Schlanger was a “great community man” who was “full of light.”

“He was so positive, so obsessed with life and bringing joy to everyone,” Friedman said.

Alexander Kleytman

Speaking to reporters in front of St. Vincent hospital, his wife Larisa Kleytman said that Alexander Kleytman was among the dead.

“We were standing and suddenly there was a ‘boom boom’ sound and everyone fell to the ground. At that moment, he was behind me and suddenly decided to approach me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay next to me.” He told The Australian.

The couple were both Holocaust survivors and told JewishCare about their experiences in 2023.

The Australian Jewish paramedic says: “As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust. Alex’s memories are particularly heartbreaking – the horrific conditions in Siberia where he struggled to survive with his mother and younger brother.” 2022-23 annual report reader.

“But the wounds of the past did not stop them from seeking a brighter future. They later emigrated from Ukraine and moved to Australia.”

Dan Elkayam

French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that Frenchman Dan Elkayam was among the dead. In a post translated from X, Barrot said France was mourning alongside his family and loved ones, the Jewish community and the people of Australia.

“This vile act is a new, tragic manifestation of a disgusting outpouring of anti-Semitic hatred that we must stop,” he wrote.

“France will not spare every effort to eradicate antisemitism wherever it occurs and to combat all forms of antisemitism. The lights of Hanukkah must not and will not go out.”

President Emmanuel Macron stated that his thoughts were with Elkayam’s family and loved ones and expressed to them the “full solidarity of the nation”.

Elkayam was a football fan and played the 2025 season on the Rockdale County football club’s major league squad. Elkayam described himself as “an extremely talented and popular figure among his teammates”.

He would join Arncliffe Aurora football club in South Sydney in their premier league squad for the 2026 season.

“Dan was a valued and highly respected member of our football community. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, team-mates and everyone who loved him during this unimaginably difficult time,” the club wrote on Instagram. “Dan will always remain part of our club.”

Reuven Morrison

Morrison, also known as Rueben, emigrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. Chabad.org reports that he splits his time between Sydney and Melbourne and is “a successful businessman whose main goal is to donate his earnings to his favorite charities.”

One 2024 interview with ABCMorrison said he was persecuted as a Jew in the Soviet Union but did not expect this to happen in Australia.

“We came here with the idea that Australia is the safest country in the world and that Jews will not face such antisemitism in the future and that we can raise our children in a safe environment,” he said.

Yaakov Levitan

Yaakov Levitan, secretary of the Jewish institution Sydney Beth Din, was killed in the attack.

His death was confirmed to Guardian Australia by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, senior member of Sydney Beth Din.

An Israeli citizen

An Israeli citizen was among those killed during the attack, according to multiple reports citing the Israeli foreign ministry.

38 injured, 27 still in hospital

Forty-two people were transported to nearby hospitals, leaving 27; Five are in critical condition, the others are in serious and stable condition. It was stated that two police officers who arrived at the scene said that their condition was critical but stable.

One of the injured is a man who rushed to the scene to tackle one of the gunmen, who has been hailed as a local hero. His relative said the man had two gunshot wounds, one in his arm and the other in his hand, but was in good condition at the hospital. Seven News reported The audience member is a 43-year-old fruit shop owner from the Sutherland Shire.

Arsen Ostrovsky

It was stated that one of the injured, whose identity was to be determined, was the head of the Sydney office of a public relations organization for the Australian Jewish community. Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights lawyer and head of the Sydney office of the Australian Council on Israel and Jewish Affairs, was named among the injured by the Jerusalem Post, a long-time contributor. Jerusalem Post reported Ostrovsky was receiving treatment and was in contact with people via WhatsApp.

An image was released of Ostrovsky lying on the ground with blood dripping from his face.

“[I’m] inside [the] Ostrovsky wrote to the Jerusalem Post: “The bullet missed the head. There is a lot of bleeding. The doctors said the miracle was that he survived, it was so close. Now he had stitches. The worst thing was being separated from my wife and children at that moment. I was shot when I went towards them. Thank God, they came out safe. There were children and elderly people everywhere, it was a complete bloodbath. It felt like a scene from Nova. But at the same time, it was incredible to see everyone rushing to help. It was surreal.”

Evan Zlatkis

Evan Zlatkis, media director of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, also stated that he was injured in the attack and told the Daily Telegraph that he heard “dozens and dozens” of gunshots. He said he felt himself bleeding as he ran away.

“I thought it was a rubber bullet, but it got stuck in my skin and leg,” he said. “I was shot too. They bandaged me. I’m fine.”