At least 15 people were killed in the deadly terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, including a 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and an elderly couple.
Australian authorities identified the attackers as a father-son duo and said the attack was inspired by ISIS. The father was killed on the spot, while the son was shot by police and taken for medical care.
Matilda Britvan
The youngest victim of the deadly rampage was 10-year-old Matilda Britvan.
GAL GADOT AND ASHTON KUTCHER CONDEMN ANTI-SEMITIC TERROR ATTACK AT BONDI BEACH HANUKKAH EVENT
10-year-old Matilda was one of 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach terrorist incident in Australia. (GoFundMe)
Lina Chernykh, Britvan’s aunt, told the story Australia’s 9News that her niece was “a happy child” and “open-hearted.”
“Everywhere she went, she was like sunshine,” Chernykh told the outlet.
Britvan and her six-year-old sister were enjoying Hanukkah celebrations when the gunmen opened fire, 9News reported. The 10-year-old was shot in front of her sister and rushed to the hospital, but she could not be saved, 9News reported.
A GoFundMe founded by Britvan’s teacher, Irina Goodhew, describes her as “a bright, cheerful and lively child who brought light to everyone around her.”
“Matilda was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is in the love and compassion we share. Her memory reminds us to carry kindness in our hearts and spread it around the world,” the GoFundMe page reads.
Alex Kleytman
Alex Kleytman, 87, was a Holocaust survivor from Ukraine. He and his 57-year-old wife Larisa Kleytman, who is also a Holocaust survivor, were celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach when the attack began.
Chabadan international Jewish organization, said Alex died protecting Larisa from the gunmen’s bullets. The organization noted that Alex is survived by eleven grandchildren in addition to his wife.
“I don’t have a husband. I don’t know where his body is. No one can give me any answers,” Larisa told reporters outside a Sydney hospital on Sunday. the BBC.
“We were standing and suddenly the ‘boom boom’ came and everyone fell down. At that moment he was standing behind me and at some point he decided to get close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay with me,” Larisa told Australian media, according to the BBC.
The Bondi community is mourning the loss of Rabbi Eli Schlanger. (Facebook/Zalman N Shterna Lewis)
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was the Chabad Assistant Rabbi of Bondi and a key organizer of the “Chanukah by the Sea” event, according to Chabad. The organization said Schlanger had served as a rabbi and chaplain to the Bondi community for 18 years.
In September, Schlanger wrote a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him not to “betray the Jewish people.” The letter, which has attracted renewed attention since the deadly attack, was posted online Schlanger’s Facebook page. Schlanger told Albanese he had “an opportunity to be on the side of truth and justice.”
The letter was written shortly after Australia voted to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.
Boris and Sofia Gurman
Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Russian Jewish couple, confronted one of the gunmen before the attack on Bondi Beach began. While they were able to temporarily disarm him, the attacker grabbed another gun and killed the pair.
The Gurmans would have celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in January, according to a GoFundMe campaign for the family. They were also about to celebrate Sofia’s 62nd birthday on December 17, just days after she was murdered.
“They were people of deep kindness, quiet strength and unwavering care for others. Devoted to their families and to each other, their absence has left a void that cannot be filled.” reads the GoFundMe. “In the moments before their deaths, Boris – with Sofia bravely beside him – tried to intervene to protect others. This act of courage and selflessness reflects exactly who they were: people who instinctively chose to help, even at great personal risk.”
Edith Brutman
Edith Brutman was vice-chair of an anti-bias and anti-discrimination committee at B’nai B’rith New South Wales (NSW), according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ernie Friedlander, the chairman of the Alfred Dreyfus Commission, who worked closely with Brutman, told the Sydney Morning Herald that she was “a very smart lady” who was “passionate about dealing with prejudice and discrimination”.
“She was always there, and she had very strong opinions,” Friedlander added.
The Brutman family released a statement about Edith’s death to ABC (Australian broadcaster), remembering her as ‘a woman of integrity’.
“Our beloved Edith was a woman of integrity who chose humanity every day. She met prejudice with principle, and division with service,” the statement said.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (a rabbinical court) and was “deeply involved in Chabad operations in Sydney”, Chabad said. The organization also stated that Levitan worked at BINA, a center for Jewish education.
Chabad described Levitan as a “popular coordinator” of the organization’s activities in Sydney, Australia.
“Yakov Levitan was a much-loved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad Read. “He was a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless efforts in helping others, including his dedication to spreading tefillin as a sacred act of service.”
“His senseless murder has left an irreplaceable void,” the page said. “Yakov was the cornerstone of his family: a devoted husband and father.”
Police cordon off an area at Bondi Beach after a terrorist attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, on December 14, 2025. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
POPE LEO
Then Elkayam
Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French national, was a footballer for the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club. His death was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
“It is with immense sadness that we learned that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the terrorist attack that struck Jewish families gathered on Sydney’s Bondi beach,” Barrot wrote on X, according to a BBC translation. “We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the Australian people.”
Rockdale Ilinden Football Club released a statement mourning Elkayam and saying he “loved the Australian way of life”.
“Football was his passion – along with spending time at the beach and socializing with friends. His smiling face and respectful nature will be greatly missed by his teammates and all who knew him. We are praying for him and for his family,” the football club wrote.
Elkayam lived with his girlfriend, Krystal Troyano, according to a GoFundMe page erected in his honor.
“Dan was taken far too soon, and Krystal now struggles with deep grief as she suddenly has to face life alone,” the page reads.
French national Dan Elkayam was killed during the attack on Bondi Beach. (Project Volta)
Peter Meagher
Peter Meagher was a retired Detective Sergeant in the NSW Police and a member of the Randwick Rugby Club.
“Peter worked as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event and like all victims, it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the club said. in a statement. “’Marzo’, as he was widely known, was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club. With decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby.”
Randwick Rugby chief executive Mark Harrison told ABC that Meagher was “one of the heart and soul figures” of the club.
Meagher’s family also issued a statement to ABC, saying: “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Peter. He was a beloved brother, husband and uncle whose kindness, generosity and love touched all who knew him. Our lives are forever changed.”
Reuven Morrison
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Reuven Morrison, who migrated from the USSR to Australia, tried to protect his community from the gunmen despite being unarmed and alone. The outlet said Morrison, 62, charged at the gunmen and appeared to hurl an object at them.
Although Morrison lived in Melbourne, he had “deep ties to Sydney”, according to Chabad, which described Morrison as a “beloved member” of the community.
“A successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities close to his heart, particularly Chabad of Bondi, who organized the event,” Chabad wrote on X.
People attend a floral memorial honoring the victims of a mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah party on Sunday, at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025. (Flavio Brancaleone/Reuters)
Tibor Weitzen
Tibor Weitzen, 78, was commemorated in a Chabad message on X as “the community’s beloved candy man, who brought joy and smiles to everyone.” The organization said he was killed while trying to protect his loved ones.
“My grandfather was truly the best thing you could ask for… He was so proud of us… and loved us more than life itself. He saw only the best in people and will be greatly missed,” Weitzen’s granddaughter, Leor Amzalak, told ABC.
Chabad said Weitzen was identified at the scene by his first responder grandson.
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Marika Pogany
Marika Pogany, 82, was a member of COA Sydney, a volunteer service for Jewish seniors.
“She was not just a long-serving volunteer. She was part of the beating heart of COA and a source of warmth to thousands of people for almost three decades,” COA Sydney wrote on Facebook. “For 29 years, she came to COA with her calm smile and her unwavering friendliness. She lifted the room just by sitting in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything. She showed us what real service looks like and she did it without fuss and without ever wanting attention.”
Chabad noted that Pogany was recognized in 2022 for delivering 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels over the course of more than two decades.
