Two gunmen opened fire on families celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a young Frenchman, in an attack police have labeled a terrorist attack.
Those killed in Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years have yet to be formally identified, but their families and friends have paid tribute to those killed.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Here’s what we know about them.
Matilda, 10, was described by her aunt as a “happy child with a wonderful smile”.
She was enjoying a festival at Bondi Beach with her parents, sister and friends when two gunmen opened fire. Matilda suffered gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital, where doctors unsuccessfully tried to save her.
“The children should be happy. They should be playing on the beach and not thinking about bullets flying,” said their aunt Lina, who did not want to share her family’s last name.
Matilda’s language teacher described her as a “bright, fun, energetic child who brought light to everyone around her”. Teacher Irina Goodhue has set up a GoFund Me page on behalf of Matilda’s family.
Lina said her family moved to Australia from Ukraine in the 1990s and enjoyed walks on the beach, picnics in the park and trips to the zoo.
Harmony Russian School in Sydney said in a statement posted on Facebook that Matilda was a former student. “We honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family,” the post said.
At a memorial service at the Bondi Pavilion on Tuesday, Matilda’s father, Michael, told the crowd that he named his daughter Matilda because she was his first born in Australia, according to footage posted by Reuters.
“I thought Matilda was the most Australian name that ever existed,” Michael said.
“I couldn’t imagine losing my daughter here,” Matilda’s mother, Valentina, said through tears and gasping for air after leaving Ukraine.
“It’s just a nightmare,” she said.
After hugging their mother, Matilda’s brother, who did not give her name, said he was relieved to know that his sister was “loved.”
“When I asked Matilda if she knew I loved her, she immediately said yes,” he said. She knew she was loved. She wasn’t alone. ”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, organized the “Hanukkah by the Sea” event on Bondi Beach and served as assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, the Jewish organization said in a statement.
“Mr. Schlanger was a dedicated rabbi and pastor,” Chabad said, adding that he worked tirelessly “to support Jewish life in the Bondi community.”
Chabad is a global Jewish organization dedicated to promoting Jewish identity and connection.
The organization said Schlanger was born in London, studied in France and was ordained as a rabbi in Brooklyn, New York.
A crowdfunding page dedicated to Schlanger and supported by Chabad says Schlanger also served as a community chaplain in hospitals and prisons and “worked tirelessly to bring warmth, faith and Jewish pride to everyone he encountered.”
Rabbi Zalman Lewis, Schlanger’s cousin, described Schlanger as “a truly wonderful person” in a Facebook post. “He left behind a wife and young children, and my uncle and aunt and brothers.”
Chabad said the rabbi is the father of five children, the youngest of whom was born in October.
Chabad said Alex Kreitman, 87, was a Holocaust survivor who died after shielding his wife, Larisa, from gunmen’s bullets.
He is remembered as a man whose “life was defined by resilience and family.” Kleitman, who was originally from Ukraine, is survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.
CNN affiliate 9 News reported that Kleitman survived the Holocaust with his mother and younger brother in Siberia before emigrating from Ukraine to Australia with his wife. They were married for nearly 60 years.
“I think he got shot because he sat up to protect me,” said Chabad, his wife Larissa.
Dan Elkayam, 27, a French national, was among those killed.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault said Mr El-Kayam had gathered at Bondi Beach with other members of the Jewish community to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. “France will spare no effort to eradicate anti-Semitism wherever it appears and to combat terrorism in all its forms,” he said in X.
El-Kayam is a football fan and played for the Premier League 1 team Rockdale Illinden FC. His club described him as “a very talented and popular person” and said he would be missed.
Juniors president Peter Donczewski told CNN the club is supporting El-Kayam’s surviving girlfriend.
Mr El-Kayam recently moved to Australia from France and had been providing technical support to global media company NBCUniversal in Sydney since December, according to his LinkedIn page.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was a “deeply loved and active member of Sydney’s Jewish community,” according to a crowdfunding page supported by Chabad.
The newspaper said Levitan, a husband and father, was “the cornerstone of the family” and “a quietly dedicated man, known for his kindness and tireless efforts to help others.”
In addition to being general manager at Chabad in Bondi, he was also secretary of Sidney Beth Din, which Chabad describes as a Jewish court. According to the crowdfunding page, Levitan was a “key figure” in the educational work of BINA, a Jewish learning center.
Levitan, who is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, described Chabad as “an important behind-the-scenes pillar of Sydney’s Jewish infrastructure”.
Chabad said he is survived by his wife and four children, ages 6 to 16.
Mr Chabad said Reuben Morrison, 62, was a businessman and philanthropist who had lived in Melbourne for many years.
As the attack unfolded, Mr Chabad said Mr Morrison appeared to be trying to “distract the terrorists’ attention by making himself a bigger target, allowing others to escape”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is from the former Soviet Union and came to Australia in the 1970s “seeking a safe environment far from the persecution he experienced”, the group added.
He is remembered as “known for his kindness and generosity,” whose “primary goal was to donate his proceeds to charities close to his heart,” Chabad said.
It added that Prime Minister Scott Morrison leaves behind a wife, daughter and grandchild.
Former NSW detective and rugby club member Peter Meagher was also killed in the shooting, Randwick Rugby Club has confirmed.
“‘Marzo’, as he was widely known, was a much-loved figure at our club and an absolute legend, with whom he was voluntarily involved for decades and was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby,” the club said.
Meagher was working as a freelance photographer for Hanukkah events at the time of the attack.
He served in the police force for approximately 40 years, retiring as a detective sergeant.
“The tragic irony is that he spent so many years on the dangerous front lines as a police officer, and while the act of being photographed in such a passionate role is truly incomprehensible, he collapsed after retirement,” Crabb added.
Tibor Weizen, 78, is remembered as a “kind grandfather” who “loved life.”
Weitzen’s granddaughter told CNN affiliate 9 News that the family is “devastated” by Weitzen’s death. “I’m really shocked. Honestly, I’m speechless,” she was quoted as saying.
Weitzen, a member of Chabad Synagogue in Bondi, was attending a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach with his wife and grandchildren when the gunman started shooting, 9News reported.
Chabad described Weizen as “the congregation’s beloved ‘Candyman,’ who brought joy and smiles to everyone.” He added that his great-grandfather, Weitzen, “died trying to protect a family friend, and that friend also lost his life.”
9News reports that 82-year-old Slovak national Marika Pogany was shot and killed while attending a Hanukkah event on Sunday.
Pogany is a close friend of the family of former Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová, who said in a post on the Slovak Jewish Association’s Facebook page on Monday that only Pogany’s mother and uncle had returned from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
“Sydney was a safe haven for her, away from fascism and communism,” Čaputova said of her late friend.
Čaputova described Pogany as “an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest.”
Pogany is a dedicated volunteer and has received several awards for his years of service to the Jewish community. In 2022, she received an award for delivering 12,000 kosher meals by car over 20 years.
Boris Gulman and Sofia Gulman
According to CNN affiliate 9 News, Boris (69) and Sofia Gurman (61) are a Russian-Jewish couple living in Bondi. They have been described as heroes for trying to stop one of the gunmen in the early stages of the attack.
Dashcam footage shows Boris Garman disarming the attacker, forcing him to the ground and attempting to grab his gun. Boris Gulman and Sofia Gulman were shot dead in the clash, becoming the first victims of the rampage, 9News reported.
In a statement, the couple’s family said their actions summed up who they are as “people who instinctively and selflessly sought to help others.”
“While nothing can alleviate the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel overwhelming pride for their courage and selflessness,” the family said, 9News reported.
The couple had planned to celebrate Sophia Gourman’s birthday and their 35th wedding anniversary in January, family members said.
“Boris was a former mechanic who was known for his generosity, quiet strength and willingness to help those in need. Sophia worked for Australia Post and was deeply loved by her colleagues and the community,” the family said.
Bondi Beach victim Edith Blutman was committed to fighting discrimination, her family and friends have told Australian media.
“She was a very smart woman and very passionate about tackling prejudice and discrimination,” Ernie Friedlander, who worked with her in the New South Wales branch of the Jewish service organization B’nai B’rith, said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
“She was always there and had very strong opinions.”
In an email exchange with CNN, Friedlander added, “Edith was a decent, hard-working friend and colleague with a big heart and passion.”
Mr Friedlander, director of B’nai B’rith NSW’s Alfred Dreyfus Anti-Defamation Unit, said Mr Blutman was deputy director of the unit.
“She will be missed by many,” Friedlander wrote.
Ms Blutman’s family said in a statement released by Australia’s national broadcaster ABC that she had “faced prejudice in principle and division in service”.
“Our family deeply mourns her loss, but we hope her life endures and not the senseless violence that was meted out to her,” the statement continued. “We hope that her memory will lead us as a people back to decency, courage and peace.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
