FLASH
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Among the victims was Eli Schlanger, a religious leader from Sydney. A child also died. The courage of Ahmed, a vegetable vendor, who disarmed an attacker
Bondi Beach is an iconic spot in Sydney, one of the most famous beaches in the world, known for its relaxed atmosphere, golden sand, blue sea and surfing.
Yesterday, crowds celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah there, the first night of the long-awaited holiday, an evening full of family fun. But it turned into the worst mass shooting in the country in nearly 30 years, one of the deadliest attacks against Jews outside Israel in decades.
Among at least 16 people killed was Sydney Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 40, an emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement who had worked there for 18 years. He was "a warm, energetic and well-liked person," they said.
About 40 people were injured, a figure that could change.
Among the victims were a child from a local Jewish school, a 12-year-old girl and an Israeli citizen. Schlanger, who was born in England, had recently organized an event to commemorate Chabad emissaries killed, including in a 2008 attack in Mumbai. Two months ago, his wife gave birth to a son.
Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor originally from Ukraine, was identified as another victim of the massacre. His wife, Larisa, said that "he had come to Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah, which has always been a very, very nice holiday for us, for many, many years. We were standing and suddenly there was a boom boom and everyone fell to the ground.
"At that moment, he was behind me and at a certain point he decided to come closer. He wanted to be next to me." The couple has two children and 11 grandchildren.
There were moments of fear and panic, says Nico, an American who has lived in Bondi for six months. He was walking to visit friends and go surfing when he heard “a lot of explosions” and people started running in all directions. At first, he thought it might be fireworks. Nico didn’t see the gunman, but says the shots “seemed very close.” His reaction was: “Just run.” He felt like the shooting lasted “forever.”
Englishman Fin Green also thought he heard fireworks. He was in his apartment at the time and went to the window to look out. He says he saw a man on the roof of a white car shooting. Several people were hit. Others began "running and screaming," heading toward his apartment building. Green closed the curtains and hid in a closet.
Elizabeth Mealey, a former journalist, was dining at Icebergs restaurant on Bondi Beach when she heard gunshots.
"People started running towards the beach; it was panic. People were just standing there, not knowing what was happening; it was terrifying." "It seemed like it took a long time to hear a siren. It was chaos."
But in this terrible story there is also a hero. His name is Ahmed. He is the person who managed to disarm one of the Bondi Beach attackers. This is the scene. The man approaches the terrorist who is shooting from behind, jumps on him and takes his weapons. The attacker stumbles and falls. Ahmed points the rifle at him, but does not have the courage to shoot.
Ahmed is 43, a father of two and runs a fruit and vegetable shop. The event at Bondi Beach attracted over a thousand people and culminated in the lighting of a large menorah, the seven-branched lamp, one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish religion. / Adapted from Il Giornale /
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