A chain of kindness and miracles

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In the wake of the devastating Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed the life of beloved Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, shock and grief rippled through Jewish communities from Sydney to the United States and beyond. Among those was a tight-knit trio from across the USA, who had been conversing with Rabbi Schlanger mere hours before.

Rabbi Schlanger, an inspiring community builder and father of five, was fatally shot, along with 14 others, during Chanukah by the Sea at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025.

For three of his friends, Mendel from Los Angeles, Levi from New York, and Eli Rutman from Miami, the mission was clear: they had to get to Sydney. But with changing funeral plans, long-haul connections, and days of uncertainty, it quickly became a race against time.

The trio, desperate to get to Sydney as quickly as they could, agreed to meet at LAX to catch a United Airlines flight to Australia together.

But life, and airline schedules, had other plans. Eli’s flight from Miami suffered rolling delays that put his entire itinerary in jeopardy. As wheels finally lifted, it became painfully clear he would miss the Sydney connection.

What he didn’t know was that people behind the scenes, including Mendel and Levi, were already working quietly on his behalf. Word of his plight reached airline staff and quickly sparked an extraordinary sequence of decisions.

Partway through his Miami–LAX flight, a flight attendant approached Eli with an unexpected message: while the United Airlines flight with his friends onboard could not be held, American Airlines would hold its international flight to Sydney for him. The Sydney-bound flight, AA73, was due to depart before his connection could possibly arrive, but the airline’s operations team, knowing who it was for and why he was going to Sydney, made the choice to wait.

On top of this, American also incredibly requested a gate and terminal change for their domestic flight into LAX to ensure Eli had the easiest and fastest transfer to his ongoing international flight to Sydney.

Eli was immediately transferred to a seat at the front of the plane so he could deboard first, and as the story goes, when the ground crew met the plane, rather than discussing how many wheelchairs were required for passengers, the arrival agent simply asked for “the Sydney passenger”. Eli was personally escorted off the plane, whisked through the terminal, and onto the Sydney flight waiting just minutes away.

American Airlines didn’t stop at holding the flight. They comped Eli’s ticket, escorted him to his seat, and personally expressed condolences for his loss, a gesture that left him stunned and deeply moved.

Incredibly, AA73 departed just 19 minutes after Eli’s arrival and went on to make up time in the air, ultimately landing in Sydney early. At the same time, United’s earlier departing flight arrived later due to gate delays.

But it didn’t stop there. Passengers on both the United and American flights were asked to remain seated so the trio could disembark quickly, and special escorts helped them through customs and immigration in record time. Before long, Mendel, Levi and Eli R. were on their way to the Chabad House at Bondi Beach, arriving mere moments before their dear friend’s funeral began

All three men said this could only have happened through a combination of compassion, coordination, and a bit of heavenly help.

American Airlines later confirmed the story, issuing a statement that praised its teams in Los Angeles and Sydney for “living out our shared purpose of caring for people on life’s journey” — especially during the most difficult moments.

For Rabbi Schlanger’s friends, this incredible sequence of events has become part of his legacy and a testament to the way he lived his life.

“For all those who knew Eli, Eli lived every day with complete faith in Hashem. Eli saw goodness and open miracles wherever he turned,” Eli R told The AJN. “We pray that we continue to see those open miracles.”