Next edition to feature Bondi survivors

As a unique platform in which live storytelling in a supportive space enables guest speakers from the Jewish community to share the wisdom of their lived experiences of going through challenging and often traumatic situations, Brave Talks always leaves an imprint of greater understanding, wisdom and hope on audiences.

But the next edition of the series on November 12 – titled “After Bondi” – will hold particular resonance.

Eleven months on from the Bondi Chanukah terror attack, the audience will hear from four courageous and inspirational people who will share their personal journeys towards healing and recovery.

The aim of the night will not be to relive the horrific events of December 14, but rather on exploring and reflecting on how we can find hope, strength and resilience.

As the Brave Talk series organisers – JewishCare and The Choice Foundation, in partnership with Waverley Council – put it, “It’s an invitation to listen, reflect, connect, be moved, and find strength in each other.

“When a community comes together to listen, something extraordinary can happen.”

Julie and Mark – who have called Sydney home for only two years – will speak about what happens when the place you chose for safety becomes the place where that safety is shattered. But also how, as a couple and a family, they began to find a way forward again.

Yaron will talk about his family’s incredible story of survival on December 14, about the resulting trauma, but also about faith, love, the meaning of life, and the complicated question of what happens now.

And Ella – who took a one-way flight to Sydney knowing only two people – will reflect on how the events of December 14 led her to rediscover and reconnect, with pride, with her Jewish identity and the Jewish community, and unexpectedly follow in the footsteps of her great-grandmother.

Mental health professionals, and a quiet space within the venue in which to take some time-out if necessary, will be available to audience members throughout the night.

Tickets are $38 and the eastern suburbs venue will be advised closer to the date. To book, visit jewishcare.com.au/events/brave-talks