Bondi Changed Us. Our Response Will Define Us.

This year we approach the summer holidays with heavy hearts. What has always been a time to exhale – to finally get away, watch the cricket or the Sydney to Hobart – is now stained with unimaginable sadness.

Undeniably we have been comforted and uplifted by the broader community. I seldom leave the house without a stranger stopping to shake my hand, offer a hug, or share words of genuine empathy and unity. The outpouring of love from our fellow Australians has been deeply moving. They know who they are, and we thank them wholeheartedly.

To my Jewish brothers and sisters – those who showed up, stood up, wrote letters, gave interviews and spoke with clarity and courage – thank you. These are the moments when we lean on one another most, when our unity becomes our strength. We shall continue to give strength to bereaved families and friends.

We are also profoundly grateful to our community leaders: our Rabbis, from every shul, and the tireless professional and volunteer staff who support them. This week has stretched the resources and resolve of every Jewish organisation imaginable. There has been little sleep in our circles! Every Jew in Australia, indeed around the world, owes you a debt of gratitude. Your efforts mattered. They were seen and heard across the globe. They produced results.

Who would have imagined that the NSW Government would launch an initiative called One Mitzvah for Bondi? Yet here it is (link) – a powerful invitation to honour those we lost through acts of goodness. I urge each of you to share it widely. Invite friends and colleagues to take part in this most Jewish of responses: honouring their memory through mitzvot. Share your mitzvah online. Inspire others. Because goodness is contagious, and every act of kindness sparks another.

Bondi was not about Jews alone. All Australians were affected by the horror of that dark day. All Australians were lighting each one of our Chanukah candles with us. Side by side. Shoulder to shoulder. And now we encourage all Australians to perform mitzvot with us.

The Bondi tragedy has left us struggling to understand how such darkness could erupt in our backyard. This week’s parsha, Vayigash, speaks directly to the moment we are living through.

Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers after years of betrayal and silent suffering. What once appeared as cruelty and loss is suddenly reframed as purpose. Joseph says the words that echo across generations: “It was not you who sent me here, but G-d.” Through a chain of painful events, G-d was positioning the family to grow, and ultimately become a nation.

The entire Yosef saga teaches that Hashem’s plan often unfolds through moments that feel cruel and senseless. What we see as rupture may be part of a larger movement toward protection, unity and survival.

In the wake of Bondi, we hold onto this truth with trembling hands. Even when we cannot see how, G-d is still guiding Am Yisroel forward. מתוך החושך out of darkness – life, meaning, and endurance will emerge. Our task is not to understand everything – it is to respond.

To respond with courage instead of fear. With unity instead of isolation.
With mitzvot instead of despair.

And so, we keep lighting our shabbos candles, spreading our light. Darkness does not get the final word. We do.

Tomorrow night, the woman of our community are coming together for a powerful Challah Bake, uniting to bring healing, strength, and light to those who were injured. There is extraordinary power when women unite in mitzvah and prayer, and at this moment our collective light truly matters.

We are deeply honoured to be joined by Rebbetzin Manya Lazaroff from Texas, who will lead a heartfelt prayer for her son Leibel, who remains in hospital. Spaces are limited so please register asap LINK.

May the gathering bring refuah, comfort, and strength, and may we merit to see only healing and light.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Levi and Chanie