Sheina Gutnick on fighting antisemitism amid grief

At a recent WIZO Victoria event to thank supporters of its Sponsor a Child program, guest speaker Sheina Gutnick credited her late father Reuven Morrison z”l, with giving her the strength she needed to become an advocate against antisemitism, in the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, where he was murdered while fighting back against two ISIS inspired terrorists.

“He was intuitive, he was incredibly intelligent, and he saw things in a way that no one else did, and in doing so imbued me with the most resilience, the most pride, and the ability to ultimately see a way forward. So, everything that I’m able to do now, the fact that I’m able to stand, to talk, to advocate – I give him 100 per cent credit for it,” Gutnick said.

Gutnick shared that her father was born in the USSR in 1963 and faced antisemitism a school, knowing his mother’s family has been burnt alive.  He came to Australia at 14, dropping out of school, meeting his wife on Bondi Beach and developing successful businesses.  For 12 years they struggled to have a child, and after turning to Jewish rituals, Gutnick was born soon after.  This led Morrison to embrace observant Judaism and for 12 years he fought for the development of Chabad Bondi.

Gutnick said her life is now divided between pre and post December 14, 2025. “I’ve learned that the grief, the trauma, the anger, and the sadness are not going anywhere. I have to grow around it. I have to make room for the joy, for the happiness, for everything that life has to offer,” she said.

She said her advocacy began the day after Bondi when CBS News called and asked to bring a camera crew to her home at 1am.