A Rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, and a 12-year-old girl were among those killed in a horrific mass shooting targeting a Jewish gathering at Sydney's Bondi Beach last night.
Gunmen opened fire on an event held at the beach to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. Authorities said the attack was designed to target the Jewish community.
Follow 1News' live updates of developments following the horrific attack here
At least 15 people were killed in the ensuing horror. Dozens were injured. One of the gunmen was also killed and the other shooter was in critical condition.
Among those killed was British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was head of the Chabad mission in Bondi.
His death was confirmed by his cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, in a post online.
"My dear cousin, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was murdered in today's terrorist attack in Sydney," the post read.
"He leaves behind his wife and young children, as well as my uncle and aunt and siblings.
"He was truly an incredible guy."
Rabbi Schlanger had served in the community for 18 years, Chabad said, and had been one of the organisers of the event targeted by the terrorists.
His cousin, Brighton-based Rabbi Zalman Lewis, told Jewish News that Rabbi Schlanger's wife Chayala gave birth to their fifth child just two months ago.
In March, Rabbi Schlanger told Chabad.org the community had been forced to tighten security amid a rise in antisemitic incidents.
At the time, he said he had “never personally been the target of antisemitism".
"My car—emblazoned with mitzvah symbols—is a living example of pride and resilience.
“Be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish.”
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Rabbi Schlanger had "deep ties" to the Crown Heights neighbourhood of the city, home to many Hasidic Jews.
Larisa Kleytman told 9News her husband, Alex Kleytman, a Ukrainian-born holocaust survivor, was killed in the attack.
She said she heard a "boom" before her husband fell to the ground.
“I have no husband. I don’t know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer,” she said.
She told The Australian they had attended the event for "many, many years".
Alexander Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry told CNN a 12-year-old girl was among the dead.
He said one of his friends “lost his 12-year-old daughter, who succumbed to her wounds in hospital".
“We’re a very close knit community, and this event is kind of the gem of our year. It’s something we look forward to every year,” he said.
It's been reported the victims were aged between 10 and 87.
Co-chief of the Executive Council of the Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin described the incident as "our worst fear realised".
"It's a family event, a beautiful event every year," he told Sky News.
"If this is what we think it is, it is our worst fear realised … if we were targeted it's something of a scale none of us could ever imagine."
Sunday marked the first day of Chanukah, also known as Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival of lights. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has said all Jewish events and communal institutions were closed until further notice following the shooting.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a terror attack in Bondi and the hero bystander who took on one of the gunmen. (Source: 1News)
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