Bondi fallen memorialised at Opera House event

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “deeply and profoundly sorry” for the Bondi Beach massacre at a vigil memorialising the terror attack on Thursday night.

Speaking at the “Light Will Win” event at the Sydney Opera House, the prime minister said “tonight should have been nothing more than a regular Thursday night, our beautiful city brightened by the light of another 15 lives”.

“We cherish the promise of Australia, that this country is a safe hub, but sadly, that promise was broken,” he said.

“You came to celebrate a festival of light and freedom, and you were met with violence and hatred. I am deeply and profoundly sorry that we could not protect your loved ones from this evil.”

Albanese acknowledged that the attack “was anything but random”.

“Jewish Australians were targeted because they were Jewish,” he said. “Let me say this clearly and unequivocally, an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all Australians.”

He continued that those who attacked the Jewish community “did not count on your spirit”.

“In the week since the world was upended, you have not retreated. You have not hidden away in fear. Instead, you have shown profound strength. You inspired a movement that has swept right across the country, the one mitzvah campaign,” he said.

“You showed us that resilience is so much more than survival. It is about defying hate with unstoppable goodness.

“The great Australian urge to pull together will always be stronger than those who seek to drive us apart,” he continued. “The reason they cannot succeed is as simple as it is powerful. You do not stand apart from us. You are a part of us, an essential part. The Jewish community is at the very heart of the Australian story.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the strength and resilience of the Jewish community had shown “how to unite a nation and bind up its wounds”.

“And in return, I hope tonight sends a very a very clear message to you from everyone else in Australia, you are not alone as you mourn,” he said.

He said we need to fight hate “wherever we see it”.

“It’s corrosive to our community, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to stand up against it,” he said.

“We must also accept that words lead to actions. It’s intolerable for anyone to suggest that another Australian doesn’t deserve a safe space, cultural or any other kind,” he continued, in an apparent reference to a slur about Zionists by anti-Israel activist Randa Abdel-Fattah.

“We must unabashedly take pride in the parts of Australian life that are intrinsically part of our character and our country: democracy, freedom, respect and equality, and should someone refuse these basic and non negotiable aspects of our country, we have to have the confidence to say that Australia is just not the country for you,” he continued to applause.

“Finally, just as you reclaim Bondi Beach, tonight, you’ve taken back the Opera House.”

Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley spoke of the “15 lives that were taken, 15 lights that must never go out”.

“Each life was precious, each was deeply loved, and each leaves behind family, friends and a community forever changed by that night,” she said.

“To those who grieve, to the survivors, to the first responders who ran towards danger that night, we hold you close. A night that should have been filled with joy and hope was instead marked by darkness and hate.

“In the midst of that darkness, we also witnessed extraordinary humanity,” Ley said. “Strangers protected strangers. Ordinary Australians acted with courage and selflessness. First Responders, surf lifesavers and medical teams showed professionalism care, and courage and such compassion. It saved lives. Those acts do not lessen the pain, but they remind us of who we are.

“We will remember these 15 blessed souls, not just as victims of a terrible crime, but as vibrant individuals who lived and loved and contributed enormously to our country. We honour them, not only in sorrow, but in the way we choose to stand together.”

Chabad of Bondi spiritual leader Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who lost his son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger in the attack, the last 30 days more “have been the most painful” days of his life.

“I have looked in the eyes of widows and orphans, and parents who have lost a young child. I have seen the suffering of the wounded and the anguish of the families. I have buried dear friends and mourned the loss of my own son-in-law,” he said.

“But in that void, something else appeared, something miraculous. These 30 days have witnessed an awakening in our country like I have never seen before. I have seen an Australia that did not just watch the news, but stood up to change the story.”

He continued, “I want to take this opportunity also to thank the Prime Minister who, as leader of this country, has taken responsibility and apologised for the tragedy has occurred.

“I want to express my gratitude, personally and on behalf of my community, to every Australian who sent a letter, laid a flower, waited in line to make blood or gave financial support to the bereaved. You did not just offer comfort. You restored our faith in humanity.”

Rabbi Ulman observed that “in the midst of our grief, something has stirred within the Jewish community”.

“People are returning. Jews who once felt distant are stepping into the into the synagogues, opening a prayer book, asking questions and choosing to live Jewishly again,” he said.

“I believe this is not a momentum response, it is the Jewish soul remembering who it is. Standing here tonight, recognising the strength of this country and the resilience of my people, I say with full conviction, I have never been a prouder Jew, and I’ve never been a prouder Australian.”

The evening saw candles for each victim lit by loved ones, while in between the speeches, moving videos were shown of the families of the victims telling stories about them. Mourner’s Kaddish was recited by the sons of five of the victims.

Earlier in the evening, Governor-General Sam Mostyn declared “I am very proud to be here at this gathering of unity and remembrance to continue to show love and support for the Jewish community”, before reading Psalm 23, which she said had been personally chosen for the occasion by King Charles III.

A heroic moment saw Leibel Lazaroff, who was shot while protecting a police officer and who was only released from hospital four hours before the event, join performers in playing piano and singing the song “Habeit”.

Mizzi and Ezra Israel also performed their song “Light Will Win”.

The evening ended with the beginning of scribing a new Torah scroll in honour of the 15 victims, before performances of “I Still Call Australia Home”, “Kol Hallam Kulo” and “Oseh Shalom”.

The event, which was hosted by Sky News broadcaster Sharri Markson, came on the evening of an official day of remembrance for the tragedy.