A night of reflection six months since Bondi

Exactly six months since the Bondi Beach Chanukah by the Sea terror attack, Cremorne Synagogue hosted RE:CONNECT – a sold-out evening for Jewish residents of the lower north shore and surrounds, focusing on healing, resilience and community.

Organiser, Cremorne Synagogue board member Kevin Jochelson, said it was designed as a calm and structured space “to come back into community, reflect on what we have carried, and begin reconnecting together”, adding the large turnout “showed the need for more spaces like this” north of the harbour.

“Bondi affected Jews across Sydney, and this event in Cremorne was about reminding people they do not have to carry it alone.”

Supported by the NSW government, the evening opened with Jochelson reading the names of the 15 victims of the Bondi terror attack, before introducing Rabbi Mendel Slavin of Cremorne Synagogue, who framed the evening through the lens of Rosh Chodesh, healing, and renewal, and emphasised how “healing comes in stages”.

He said the pain and trauma post-Bondi had not only broken the community down, but had also “broken us open … to open our hearts”.

The audience heard from Marie D* – a survivor of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack – who shared her reflections on trauma, recovery and healing over time.

She said, through the personal experience, that even when two people experience the same traumatic event, they may process it very differently.

Marie D had first reached out to Jochelson in the days after Bondi, offering to support survivors and the Jewish community in any way she could.

She stressed, “It may not feel like it now, but you will heal … a little, imperceptibly, every day.”

Forensic and clinical psychologist Chana Michla Deitz, who survived the Bondi attack with her daughter, shared both her personal experience, and her professional insight into trauma and resilience.

Speaking about the moment the attack began, she said, “It felt like a crack in the air, because it felt like something had splintered.”

Deitz also reflected on meeting Matilda Bee Britvan shortly before the attack, describing her as “a beautiful and bubbly girl” who had complimented her daughter’s painted face. She spoke about how to support children after traumatic events, saying that when her son asked why people hate the Jewish community, she replied that “sometimes the loudest voices aren’t the majority of voices”, reminding him of the outpouring of food, gifts and love received from the Jewish and wider community.

Deitz also introduced attendees to the 6Cs framework developed by Israeli trauma expert Dr Moshe Farchi – built around the pillars of communication, commitment, cognition, continuity, control and challenge.

She explained that after a traumatic event, people can be pushed outside their “window of tolerance” into anxiety, agitation, shutdown or numbness, but using practical grounding tools can help.

Meditation teacher and poet Mike Kelly led a guided session focused on breathing, being present, and finding inner peace, before guests enjoyed time to chat and reflect on the evening’s learnings while enjoying a kosher dinner by north shore caterer Lev&Co.

Conversation cards prompted discussion points.

The event also included symbolic acts of remembrance. Fifteen candles and fifteen stones – each bearing the name of one of the victims – were placed on tables beside flower arrangements.

The caterer also prepared bee-shaped cookies in honour of 10-year-old Matilda’s life.