The Nexus Project is heartbroken by the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where gunmen opened fire on Jewish families gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. We mourn the victims of this massacre, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, and hold the injured and their loved ones in our hearts during this devastating time. This was an unambiguous act of antisemitic violence — Jews were targeted and murdered precisely because they were Jews, gathered in public to practice their faith and celebrate a holiday of light and hope. We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.
Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people’s resilience and their right to exist, to worship, and to live openly as Jews. The perpetrators of this attack sought to extinguish that light and terrorize Jewish communities worldwide. We stand in solidarity with Australian Jews and with Jewish communities everywhere who are grieving and afraid. Antisemitic violence is not only an attack on the Jewish community — it is an assault on the values of pluralism, safety, and human dignity that bind diverse democratic societies together. We call on leaders across the globe to treat the fight against antisemitism with the seriousness and urgency this moment demands, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this unconscionable tragedy.