A 43-year-old woman has spoken of her shock at the terrorist attack that happened ten minutes away from her Bondi home in Australia.
Micaela Ezra, who was attending another Hanukkah event just five minutes away from the Bondi Beach attack, told Metro she is in ‘complete and utter shock and feeling sick to the stomach’ after discovering a number of those injured, and one killed, are people that she knows.
At least 16 people have been killed and 40 injured in the attack targeting a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australian police have said.
‘I was at another event to celebrate Hanukkah that was at a venue a few minutes away from the beach. As soon as we heard about the attack there was complete and utter panic and pandemonium as we tried to find our kids who were playing in a different part of the venue.’
With her husband and their five-year-old son having exited, Mrs Ezra managed to grab her nine and eleven-year-old daughters and flee the venue.
‘We were all absolutely traumatised and unsure what was going on at this stage as were worried the attackers could come towards us,’ she added.
‘As soon as we got home, it was then I started to hear the names of those caught up in the shooting as we knew so many people who had attended the event.’
Among them is the community Rabbi Eli Schlanger who she learnt had been killed, and whose funeral has already been set to take place tomorrow.
‘I am beyond heartbroken as Rabbi Eli was the most wonderful and joyous person we knew. He went out of his way to uplift and bring love and happiness to everyone. After more than a decade of hard work he built up a beautiful synagogue in Bondi and everyone who knew him thought he was just amazing. It is sickening that his light has been put out in such horrific circumstances.’
What happened on Bondi Beach?
Two individuals armed with guns opened fire on a crowd in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday, New South Wales Police said.
The attack has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a Hanukkah celebration at a park next to the beach on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights, the force confirmed.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed one of the alleged gunmen has been killed while the other is in police custody.
With anti-Semitism rife in Australia, Mrs Ezra said the event she was attending was guarded by police and the Jewish CSG security group that work closely with them to protect Jewish communities from security threats.
That reassurance, together with the fact, Mrs Ezra explained, there was an even more joyful atmosphere in the air than usual because it was a boiling hot day, meant the Hanukkah party was attended by so many in the community.
‘How such a joyful event turned into horror will stay with us for the rest of our lives,’ she added. Now, she is waiting to hear about how her injured friends are who have been taken to several hospitals across Sydney.
‘When I finally got my daughters to bed tonight they were shaking and crying. All we could do to try and be calm was to recite some Jewish prayers they know. As for me, I can’t imagine getting any sleep tonight. I think it is going to be a long week of funerals that is absolutely unimaginable.
‘The festival of Hanukkah is all about light and we have been thrown into complete darkness but we will be strong and become even more united than ever before.’
