‘Ode to Matilda’ read at heartbreaking service

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Long before today’s midday funeral service began for 10-year-old Matilda Britvan – the youngest person killed in the Bondi Beach ‘Chanukah at the Sea’ terrorist attack – the Sydney Chevra Kadisha’s main hall and outer corridors were full to capacity, and several hundred more mourners stood outside to watch the service on a large screen.

The massive turnout was fitting for such an unthinkable loss, and weeping mourners wore specially-made stickers handed out that featured a yellow bee holding a menorah.

Bee was the middle name Matilda’s family affectionately gave her.

Delivering the eulogy, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman – who only the day before, read the eulogy at his son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s funeral – said, “It is really an impossible task to be able to stand here today and try to give some words of comfort, some words of strength, because in reality, words fail me.”

But he told the massive audience of mourners, “All of us are one family – all of use who lost our loved ones can feel the pain of the other person, very, very strongly.

“When you look at this beautiful picture [of Matilda] – she is so beautiful and so innocent. A beautiful daughter, sister, granddaughter.

“And the eternal question is why? There is no answer”.

But he emphasised how, as Jewish people, the strength will be found to continue.

“Otherwise, we’re not giving the credit and the meaning and the respect to those that left us.

“We must make sure she doesn’t just remain in our hearts, in our memories, in our minds – she needs to remain alive in our deeds, and in how we live our lives.”

Rabbi Ulman said “Matilda grew up as a child who loved the things children loved – the outdoors, animals, she went to school, she had many friends – everybody loved her”.

He then read a special message from Matilda’s primary school, La Perouse Public, which described her as “genuinely the most kind, caring, and compassionate young girl, who brightened everyone’s day with her radiant smile, and infectious laugh”.

Rabbi Ulman continued, “Matilda was a righteous, special, sweet, kind girl.

“It’s unnatural for grandparents, for parents, to farewell a child. And for parents to lose a child, it is the greatest sorrow.

“It’s not just the sorrow and catastrophe that afflicted each and everyone one of you, and [her parents] Michael and Valentyna, and the family. It’s a tragedy, so totally cruel . . . it’s something som painful to all of us, as if our own daughter was taken from us.”

Prayers were read by rabbis, and Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli.

And NSW Premier Chris Minns read a poem called Ode to Matilda, written in Matilda’s honour.

He read: “From darkness they struck to where candles glowed bright. A child of celebration was lost to terror’s night;

Yet in the harshest sorrow, her memory will shine, a beacon of her love though her earthly light has gone;

She bore the name Matilda, to honour this great land, Australia’s heart and spirit, forever hand in hand;

Now angels gather softly, their wings a silken shroud, and heaven holds her closely, far above the cloud;

Her spirit like a swagman’s will never fade away, she’s waltzing with the angels, where love will always stay;

Though sorrow fills the campfire, and tears the night have found. Matilda’s name now honoured in every sacred ground.”

Also in attendance at the funeral service were NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, federal Shadow Minister for the arts, education and early learning Julian Leeser, federal Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek, NSW Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon, and Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin.