Jewish communities across the world have experienced heightened fear since the Bondi Beach mass shooting and the continuous rise of anti-semitic motivated attacks.
16 people were killed, including one perpetrator, and 40 were injured at Bondi Beach, Australia, ranging from a 10-year-old child to an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.
Sophomore Emily Himber said, “When I learned about the shooting in Australia, I was upset but unfortunately not surprised. I see more and more hatred growing in this world toward Jews, and now it seems like it’s getting closer to us every day. It’s very worrisome but hopefully, one day we can live without the fear of being Jewish.”
The Bondi Beach shooting targeted a Chabad event called “Chanukkah by the Sea” to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah in December 2025.
More than 1,000 people were in attendance, and additional beach-goers at the touristy suburb of Sydney, Australia. The suspects were associated with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Immediately after Bondi Beach, many governments and influential figures, including President Donald Trump and representatives from the Iranian Foreign Ministry, expressed their support and condolences to the Jewish community of Australia.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on X, “We condemn the violent attack in Sydney, Australia. Terror and killing of human beings, wherever committed, is rejected and condemned.”
Sophomore Noah Cytrynbaum said, “It’s great to see that powerful governments, even Iran, shockingly, are giving support to the Jewish people, and not because they love Jews but because they accurately see Jews as victims of anti-human acts throughout history and in the present. However, as we saw in Sydney, all you need is two guys with guns. Something needs to be done to solve the grassroots issue of antisemitism.”
Despite the large influx of support, there are still major safety issues within Jewish communities following the Bondi Beach shooting.
Anti-semitism has risen dramatically in recent years. According to the FBI, 70 percent of all religious hate crimes in the United States target Jews.
In New York City, Elias Rosner, a 35-year-old Jewish man, was stabbed in the chest in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, by a man who made anti-semitic remarks and comments towards Rosner.
Rosner is stable and doing well, according to Eyewitness News.
Around 55 percent of American-Jews faced some sort of anti-semitism in 2024 or 2025, and this percentage is expected to rise following the recent attacks.
Junior Sagan Shapiro said, “I always try to have faith in humanity that people are inherently good, but the growing rate of antisemitism in America gives me doubt in that. It’s unfortunate that in a country built on supposed acceptance and freedom for all, there is so much hate.”
Since the events at Bondi Beach, events across the world relating to Hanukkah and Judaism have been cancelled.
In San Diego, California, a public Hanukkah lighting was cancelled and relocated to a private location because of safety concerns.
Queensland, a province of Australia, cancelled all of its public Hanukkah events following Bondi, and a film festival in Sweden was postponed indefinitely after movie theaters refused to host the event because of safety concerns.
Despite all of these setbacks, Hanukkah was built on perseverance and courage, and various Jewish communities are choosing to embrace that rather than hiding and being scared.
Rabbi Yaacov Leaf of Chabad of Montclair said, “Hanukkah teaches us a powerful lesson about Jewish pride. When hatred and violence rise, it can feel instinctive to retreat and keep our Jewish identity quiet. But doing so would mean letting fear win, and the strongest response is to live our Judaism with confidence and pride.”
