Reclaiming our Bondi
After our darkest day, City2Surf showed the strength, pride and joy of a community determined to reclaim Bondi.
In these tense times, there are moments we need to hold on to.
We are in the midst of a Royal Commission that while necessary, has not been easy. Our community still grieves not just last December’s Bondi Beach terror attack that took 15 lives, but the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel that took 1200. We have dealt with unprecedented levels of antisemitism on top of that grief as some of us question the future of Jewish life in Australia.
It is a lot. We need to be reminded why it is all worth it.
Sunday provided that reminder when more than 400 of us proudly ran in the City2Surf, wearing “Remembering Bondi” T-shirts featuring the logo of a Jewish organisation, raising $112,000 for charity and bringing Yiddishkeit back to massacre site Archer Park at Bondi Beach at the finish line.
Those who were there know how extraordinary the day was. As JCA CEO Alain Hasson says, “This is how our community responds to hate … we don’t run away from it, we literally ran to it.”
We showed up, in the open, proudly declaring who we are. And then we reclaimed the very place of our darkest day, illuminating it with joy, togetherness, mitzvot and life.
It was the ultimate tribute to 10-year-old massacre victim Matilda, whose family was present at Archer Park wrapped in the love and warmth of the community.
For survivor Arsen Ostrovsky, who was shot it the head, it was a victory for all of us against those who tried to cut us down.
And for those lined the streets to cheer our runners on as they made their way to Bondi, it was a reminder of the power of Australian unity and looking after after each other.
This is what makes our community great.
We are all proud Jews, yes, but it’s moments like these that make us so fiercely proud of our beautiful, resilient Jewish community.
Yes, the Royal Commission grinds on. The fear has not vanished. The hard work of rebuilding is only beginning. But Sunday showed us what we are capable of when we stand together — proud, joyful and unafraid.
We ran to Bondi. And we will keep going back.