Chabad rabbis, Ukrainian Holocaust survivor among those killed in Sydney Hanukkah attack

A Hanukkah celebration in Sydney's Bondi Beach became the site of a deadly terror attack on Sunday, leaving 15 people dead. Among the victims were two Chabad rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a recent immigrant. The attack, which targeted a "Chanukah by the Sea" event organized by the Chabad Hasidic movement, is one of the worst targeting Jews outside Israel in decades.

During the attack, the two gunmen fired approximately 50 shots into the crowd of 1,000 people. Around 38 individuals sustained injuries, including two police officers. Australian officials have classified the event as a terror attack, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging to combat antisemitism in the country.

The mass shooting marks the second-worst in Australian history and the deadliest attack on Jews abroad since the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The following are the stories of the victims who have been identified thus far.

• Rabbi Eli Schlanger**
• Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 40, served as the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi in Sydney. Born in London, he studied at Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Brunoy, France, according to Chabad. He later received his rabbinic ordination from the central Lubavitch yeshiva in Crown Heights, New York City. Rabbi Schlanger is survived by his wife and five children, including a two-month-old son.

Rabbi Zalman Lewis, Schlanger’s cousin, told the BBC that Schlanger had relocated to New York with his family as a child, and then moved again after marrying an Australian. Rabbi Schlanger had been a vocal advocate against rising antisemitism in Australia. In a March interview on the Chabad website, he urged Jews to proudly display their faith in the face of hatred. He stated that his car, which was decorated with mitzvah symbols, served as an example of pride and resilience. He encouraged others to embrace their Jewish identities more openly as a response to growing hate, saying, “Be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish.”

Rabbi Lewis described Schlanger as a “vivacious, energetic, full of life and a very warm outgoing person who loved to help people.” He added that his cousin’s response to the Bondi Beach massacre would have been to encourage people to “keep spreading light” and perform acts of charity, emphasizing the importance of showing the world as a positive place.

• Alex Kleytman**
• Alex Kleytman, a Ukrainian Holocaust survivor, was at the Hanukkah celebration with his wife of 57 years, Larisa Kleytman, who is also a Holocaust survivor. According to his wife, Kleytman died protecting her from the gunfire. She told the Daily Mail that he was shot in the back of the head as he shielded her from the bullets.

Larisa Kleytman told The Australian that Alex, a retired civil engineer, was at the beach to celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday that had always been a very good celebration for many years. She recounted the horror of the attack, saying, “Today in the middle of the celebrations [there were] shots, and unfortunately my husband was killed.” She explained that they were standing when the shooting began, and Alex moved closer to her to protect her.

Australia’s Jewish Care charity featured Alex and Larisa in its 2022-2023 annual report, highlighting Alex's experiences during the Holocaust as a child in Siberia. The report stated that he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival. Despite the trauma of the past, Alex and Larisa immigrated to Australia from Ukraine to seek a brighter future.

• Dan Elkayam**
• Dan Elkayam, 27, had moved to Sydney from France for work last year. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed Elkayam’s death on X, expressing “immense sadness” and mourning with his family, loved ones, the Jewish community, and the Australian people. Elkayam, originally from Paris, had moved to Australia in December, according to Le Parisien. His LinkedIn profile indicated that he worked as an IT analyst at NBCUniversal.

Elkayam was an avid traveler, documenting his adventures on social media with numerous images and videos, including a hike through the Sumatran jungle in Indonesia, visits to temples in Kyoto, Japan, and encounters with elephants in Thailand. Chabad posted on X that Dan was celebrating Hanukkah with his fellow Jews in Sydney when his life was tragically cut short.

• Rabbi Yaakov Halevi Levitan**
• Rabbi Yaakov Halevi Levitan was a Chabad emissary and the secretary of the Sydney Beth Din. He also worked at the BINA Center, a Jewish educational institution in Sydney. According to a Jewish news site, Levitan distributed tefillin to those committed to performing the Jewish rite.

• Reuven Morrison**
• Reuven Morrison, who immigrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union, “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney,” according to Chabad. He maintained strong ties to the Jewish community even after moving to Melbourne with his family for his daughter’s schooling. Chabad noted that Morrison continued to work primarily in Sydney, splitting his time between the two cities.

Described by Chabad as a “successful businessman,” Morrison was a generous donor to charitable causes, including Chabad of Bondi.