Outpouring of love and support as multifaith leaders embrace Australia’s Jewish community

The Jewish community has expressed its gratitude at the overwhelming support received from faith and ethnic communities around Australia in the wake of the tragic Bondi terror attack. 

The attack took place on the first night of the Jewish celebration of Chanukkah when two gunmen opened fire at Bondi Beach. At least 15 people were killed in the attack and dozens more were injured. 

Member of the Order of Australia and co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the preeminent body representing Australian Jewish organisations and the Australian Jewish community, Peter Wertheim, shared that his “inbox is just bursting at the seams with messages of goodwill and support and love from Australians of every background”. 

“I mean, all over Australia. Things like, ‘I’m not a Jewish person myself, but I just wanted you to know how much we support you and respect you and how much a part of us you are.’” 

“It’s mind-boggling. And we’ve also received official messages of support from other ethnic communities and also from other faith communities. And by that, I mean the Christian churches, Shia and Sunni representative organizations, the Baha’i community, the Hindu community. All these unsolicited messages of support in life, and often expressed in heartfelt terms.”

The Australian Baha’i Community has been lending its love and support at several national interfaith initiatives held across the past week.  

A memorial was held for victims of the shooting at St Mary’s Cathedral on Wednesday, December 17. Hosted by the Archdiocese of Sydney, Archbishop Anthony Fisher, the event brought together politicians, government representatives, as well as faith and community leaders, reflecting healing, love, peace and unity, and exploring the role that language can play in fostering division and prejudice.  

NSW Premier Chris Minns, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and religious leaders including host Archbishop Anthony Fisher, and The Great Synagogue’s Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton, all spoke at the event. 

Rabbi Elton acknowledged the “overwhelming support” he received in the previous 48 hours from people of all faiths, neighbours and leaders at every level. 

The Prime Minister said “at the worst of times we see the best of the Australian chatacter … we were given proof that evil will never overcome the courage, decency, compassion and kindness of Australians.” 

The secretary of the national Baha’i governing body, the National Spiritual Assembly, was one of 15 faith leaders who stood in solidarity and lit a candle for the 15 victims as part of the memorial. 

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Australian Baha’i Community Office of External Affairs, as well as the local Baha’i governing body of Waverley, the Local Spiritual Assembly, also visited the site of the Bondi attacks to lay flowers and say prayers. 

Meeting with the Director of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Julia Sussman, these friends formally expressed their condolences on behalf of the Australian Baha’i Community. 

At the site, Rabbi Yossi Friedman introduced the Baha’i delegation to the crowd and thanked the Baha’i community for their support and for coming to honour the victims. A member of the Baha’i community and holocaust survivor shared her story with him at the site.

The Australian Baha’i community was invited to the Chabad of Bondi’s Light Over Darkness: NSW Night of Unity – Menorah lighting and Commemoration at Bondi Beach, one week from the terrorist attack. A member of the Office of External Affairs attended. Standing alongside thousands of mourners, the commemoration event included speakers who survived the attack, Jewish community leaders, politicians and first responders. A minute silence was observed at 6.47pm.

Earlier this week, the National Spiritual Assembly also released a statement to Jewish organisations across the country expressing its heartfelt support and stating it was deeply saddened by this act of terror, and extended its “love, support and solidarity to the Jewish community of Australia”. 

On Tuesday, 23 December, a special temple service was held at the Sydney Baha’i House of Worship. Prayers from different faiths on the themes of peace, love and unity were recited with a simple reception held on the lawn beforehand featuring speeches by a member of the National Spiritual Assembly as well as various faith and government representatives. Dr Sophie Scamps MP, Member for Mackellar (home of the Sydney Baha’i House of Worship), was a keynote speaker. 

Baha’i communities across Australia continue to hold special devotional gatherings and participate in vigils and events in honour of the victims of the Bondi shooting. Working on building unity between people of all backgrounds and showing solidarity with the Jewish community, these activities take place in a variety of spaces – from homes in the neighbourhood setting, through to more formally-organised collaborative events – and feature prayers and programs focused on healing, peace and goodwill.