Courage to Care Australia is devastated by the horrific act of violence at Bondi Beach, which has shocked our nation and caused immeasurable grief—particularly as it occurred on the first night of Chanukah, a time that should be marked by light, hope and renewal.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones, including 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, who died protecting his wife, Larisa. The profound tragedy of Mr. Kleytman’s death—a man who survived the Holocaust only to be murdered in an act of antisemitic terror decades later—reminds us of the enduring and deadly nature of hatred. Our thoughts are with all those who remain hospitalised and recovering from their injuries, their families, and all those traumatised by this senseless attack.
Our hearts also go out to our wonderful and treasured volunteers, many of whom are Jewish, who are feeling profound hurt and pain right now. They dedicate themselves to teaching the lessons of the dangers of discrimination in all its forms and standing against hatred yet find themselves living in a time when such violence can still occur. We stand with them in their grief and in their resolve.
In this darkest moment, we also witnessed extraordinary courage. Ahmed al-Ahmed risked his own life to disarm one of the gunmen, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the process. His selfless actions undoubtedly saved countless lives. Boris and Sofia Gurman, 61, were killed after they gave their lives in an attempt to stop the shooter. These acts of heroism are extreme examples of the Upstander values that Courage to Care champions—the willingness to act against hatred when we bear witness to it.
This tragedy demonstrates what our volunteers teach students every week: left unchecked hate escalates.
Discrimination never begins with violence—it starts with seemingly harmless stereotypes, jokes, and slurs. When left unchallenged, these harden into prejudice, then escalate to discrimination, violence, and ultimately can, as history shows, lead to genocide. The most effective—and easiest—place to stop this deadly cascade is at the beginning, by confronting stereotyping before it hardens into the hatred that fuelled this attack.
There is no place in Australia for violence, hatred or terror of any kind. This moment must serve as a clear line in the sand for our country. We need strong, principled leadership that unequivocally rejects antisemitism, racism and all forms of extremism, and that affirms the safety, dignity and belonging of every Australian.
We support the call by Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, for accelerated action to address the rising tide of antisemitism in our country. Education, legislative reform, and unwavering commitment from all levels of government are essential to creating lasting change.
At times like this, our response must be united, compassionate and resolute. We owe it to those who have lost their lives, to survivors like Ahmed al-Ahmed who embodied the Upstander values we teach, and to future generations, to ensure that hatred does not define us—but that courage, care and collective responsibility do.
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Bondi Attack Support