Thousands gather at Bondi Pavilion for Shloshim memorial following deadly terror attack

Despite heavy rain, more than 2,000 people came together at Bondi Pavilion on Sunday night, standing shoulder to shoulder to mark 30 days since the terror attack that tore through a Chanukah gathering at Bondi Beach.

The memorial was held on the pavilion forecourt, drawing members of the Jewish community alongside local Bondi residents who have carried the shock of the attack as their own. Police were visible around the perimeter, a quiet reminder of what had brought everyone there.

Among those present were Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, alongside other civic and communal leaders, attending to bear witness to a community in mourning.

The gathering marked the public conclusion of a month of Shloshim, daily remembrance led by Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Since the attack, he has returned to the site three times a day to read the names of those killed and share brief stories about their lives. What began as a response to sudden loss became a steady place for grief, reflection, and presence as flowers, notes, and stones continued to appear long after the site was officially cleared.

At one point during the service, a Jewish Bondi lifeguard, Anthony Glick, a Cohen, was called forward. Standing before the crowd, he recited the priestly blessing, a moment of ancient ritual carried out in a place marked by recent violence.

NSW Governor Margaret Beazley addressed the crowd, asking people to join hands. She spoke of the rain not as something to endure, but as a sign of life, urging those gathered to hold on to love and to one another.

Some of the most difficult moments came as survivors and family members spoke. Jessica Chapnik Kahn described shielding her young daughter beneath her own body as shots rang out. She spoke of protecting an inner space that violence could not reach, something she said no attacker could ever take.

Ilan Kidron sang a special rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” in memory of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda, a moment that left many in tears. Her father later spoke simply and quietly, thanking first responders and those who had helped his family. He described his daughter as a typical 10-year-old who “loved to laugh, dance, and sing”.

Rabbi Friedman spoke of the victims not only as those who were lost but also as people who acted with courage in moments of terror. He told the crowd that many moved towards danger to help others, insisting that their lives should be remembered for how they lived and how they cared.

As the service drew to a close, the musicians played the national anthems of Australia and Israel. In conclusion, Ilan Kidron sang the beautiful call for peace in Hebrew and Arabic, “Salaam (Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu)”. What followed was unplanned and quietly powerful. Women in the crowd began a spontaneous hora, slowly at first, then with growing confidence. Others joined, and soon Governor Beazley stepped forward to dance with them. In the rain, grief and resolve sat side by side, a brief moment of movement and optimism after weeks of sorrow.

As people began to leave, many lingered. Some placed memorial stones. Others stood silently contemplating the tragedy. The formal period of mourning had ended, but the sense of shock and remembrance at Bondi Beach remains.