Condolence messages, appeals for peace after deadly attack on Hanukkah celebration

Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC

Many messages have been arriving in the wake of yesterday's horrific attack on the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Sydney Australia, in which 15 people were killed, included two Rabbis, a ten year old child, an 87 year old Holocaust survivor who died trying to protect his wife and an 82 year old Holocaust survivor. Several more people were injured, some critically.

Pope Leo XIV

After hearing the news of the attack at Bondi Beach in Australia, Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram, signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to the Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher.

The Pope expressed his deep sadness for the loss of "members of the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah celebration." The telegram went on to offer the Holy Father's "assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this senseless act of violence."

Pope Leo shared his renewed hope that "those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace". He offered his prayers for those still recovering "as well as consolation for those grieving the loss of a loved one." He commended the dead to God while invoking "the divine blessings of peace and strength upon all Australians."

World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) unreservedly denounces the horrific and appalling terrorist attack that took place in Sydney, Australia, during the ceremony for lighting the first candle of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach - an iconic location for families and community gatherings.

The attack, which targeted innocent people as they participated in a peaceful religious observance and is reported to have resulted in at least 12 deaths, is a profoundly troubling act of violence evidently driven by antisemitic motives, and undermining fundamental principles of human dignity, religious freedom, and social cohesion. It is particularly distressing and unacceptable that this incident occurred at the very beginning of Hanukkah, a festival that symbolizes light, faith, and the resilience of a community in the face of adversity. The fact that the attack took place at a moment when people had gathered to honour a tradition deeply rooted in hope and spiritual endurance renders this act even more egregious

This attack forms part of a disturbing global rise in antisemitic acts that represent an emboldened violent hatred, and endanger the security of communities that have lived peacefully for decades within multicultural societies. Such violent antisemitism constitutes a gross violation of basic human rights and cannot be tolerated in any democratic society.

The WCC has from its beginnings in 1948 condemned antisemitism as "sin against God and man", and called on "all the churches we represent to denounce antisemitism, no matter what its origin, as absolutely irreconcilable with the profession and practice of the Christian faith". Today, we renew that call to the global ecumenical fellowship of churches.

We extend our solidarity to the affected members of the Jewish community in Australia, as well as to all our Jewish sisters and brothers threatened by antisemitic hatred and violence. We pray for healing of the wounded, for the consolation of the bereaved, for accountability for the perpetrators and for all those who promote such violence against people on the basis of their religion or ethnicity, and for all people of good will to work together to confront the normalization of such hatred in politics and society. We call on all people to work together to make the world a safe and secure place for all people filled with love, harmony and peace.

Signed,
Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay, General Secretary, World Council of Churches

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney

We all share in profound grief and righteous anger following last night's terrorist attack on Bondi Beach. That a celebration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah could end in at least 16 dead, including a young child, and many more injured, horrifies ordinary Australians.

The brazen and callous disregard for human life, and the hatred of some people toward all Jews, is an unspeakable evil that must be repudiated by every Australian.

Any attack on individual Jews is an attack on the whole Jewish community; and any attack on the Jewish community is an affront to our way of life as Australians. It must be condemned unequivocally and justice for the victims delivered swiftly.

For more than two years, an atmosphere of public antisemitism has festered leading to intimidation, division, and the normalisation of incendiary language. Opposite my own cathedral in Hyde Park there have been weekly demonstrations where inflammatory messages have been regularly articulated which could only have "turned up the temperature" and perhaps contributed to radicalisation. This must stop.

My great grandmother was a Jew and so I have Jewish heritage in my own family. Jesus was a Jew, born of a Jewish mother, born a subject of the Jewish Law. Mary and Joseph were Jews. So too our father Abraham and all the prophets, as well as all twelve of the apostles. Christians are children of the Jews. And so, an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us.

Even amidst such dark evil, traces of goodness were demonstrated last night: in the extraordinary bravery from police, ambulance officers and lifesavers, as well as from bystanders; and in the generosity of spirit of those offering help to those affected.

On behalf of Sydney's Catholic community, I extend the deepest condolences to our Jewish brothers and sisters. Please be assured of our prayers and closeness during this time for all the victims of this attack, their families, and the entire community. We love our Jewish neighbours and friends, and we must do all we can to keep them safe.

The Catholic community will redouble its efforts to combat antisemitism through education and preaching. We have offered our educational and counselling services to our Jewish neighbours while any of their services are locked down or overwhelmed. We will have many services of prayer for the dead, injured and traumatised.

Hanukkah and Christmas occur around the same time as festivals of faith and family, of gifts and especially of light. We pray that the God of light will grant wisdom to our leaders and pour healing and hope upon our community at this time.

Methodist Church of Great Britain

The Methodist Church has issued a prayer:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who grants us light, sustains us in life and guides us in the ways of holiness.

On a day when peaceful celebration has been distorted through acts of violence and hatred, we pray for those who have died and been injured in the attack at Bondi beach at the beginning of Hanukkah.

Comfort those who have lost loved ones. Strengthen them and grant them peace.
Stand close to those who seek answers and with those tasked with understanding and responding to these acts of violence.

May the deep darkness of this day be met by responses of respect, compassion and solidarity as we continue to draw alongside our sisters and brothers of Jewish faith in our prayers.

We pray for an ending to all acts of religious or racially based hatred that we may dwell in your light and seek a world in which all may walk safely alongside their neighbour.
Amen.

Church of Scotland

Rt Rev Rosie Frew, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has issued a statement expressing the Kirk's sympathy for those affected by this weekend's Bondi Beach attack, the wider Jewish community and the people of Australia.

"The massacre of innocent people gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the first day of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is the most appalling atrocity, one felt world-wide.

"This is a dark time for Australia and the Jewish community.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved and the injured, with the people of Sydney and with the Jewish Community."

Pax Christi Australia

Pax Christi Australia .. condemns the recent violence committed in Bondi on Sunday as our Jewish sisters and brothers were about to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Pax Christi condemns all forms of violence irrespective of where it comes from. We extend our profound feelings of condolences to the Jewish community and all in the area who have been impacted by this violence. In this instance, we pray especially for the victims of this violence - the dead and the wounded, as well as those who are traumatised by their presence at the scene or those impacted by the events on media.

We believe that even in the depths of suffering we also encounter the God of peace and justice who also sides with those who are victims in our world. All are precious in the eyes of God who is present in all.

We applaud the work of first responders to such scenes as well as people present who assisted the dying and wounded as well as the courage of individuals in confronting the perpetrators. In our grief, may we not turn to vengeance but seek to participate in the healing of our world.

As our sisters and brothers in the Jewish faith commemorate Hanuka - the Festival of Lights - may we all be people who light the fires of love, tenderness and peace in our communities and beyond.

Father Claude Mostowik msc, President, Pax Christi Australia

Rabbi Brant Rosen shared this letter to his congregation at Tzedek Chicago:

Dear Haverim,

As we prepare for the first night of Hanukkah, we've just received the gutting news that fifteen Australian Jews were murdered and over three dozen injured by gunmen as they celebrated at Hanukkah party on a Sydney beach. As of yet, we haven't received word about the identity of the attackers, but it doesn't really matter. This was an act of antisemitic hate: an attack on Jews, who were celebrating as Jews, because they were Jews.

While there will undoubtedly be time to analyze the specifics of this incident, the terrifying truth is that we are living in a time of increasing, spiraling hate; hate that is being unleashed in truly frightening ways against a variety of different groups. At the same time, however, we are also living in an age of increasing solidarity; a time in which ordinary citizens have been responding to hatred by taking to the streets to protect and defend their fellow citizens. As the Jewish community mourns the dead of our own in Sydney, let us find strength in the actions of Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two, who risked his life to save his Jewish neighbours on the eve of Hanukkah.

There are some in our community who mistakenly believe that the festival of Hanukkah serves only as a reminder that at the end of the day, the Jewish people are eternal victims and that we have only ourselves to rely on. I would suggest that the true lesson of Hanukkah is the exact opposite: that while the reality of tyranny is universal, so are the qualities of solidarity and courage. That the miracle of resistance can never be limited to any one group of people alone. And that if we are to stand down hatred and tyranny, we must do it together.

Bayamim ha'heim bazman hazeh - as in days of old, as in our own day: let this message shine forth as we light our Hanukkah lights tonight - and every night to come.

Sending blessings for a liberating Hanukkah,

The Muslim Council of Elders, "strongly condemned" the mass shooting, calling for the strengthening of "international efforts to combat hate speech, extremism, and racism, while also addressing the root causes of such reprehensible violence, by promoting dialogue and mutual respect".

The Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome, said that the Jewish 'festival of lights' had been "turned into a nightmare, not only for Australia, but for all of us."

"This serious attack makes us reflect on the climate of hatred that has crept into our societies," the movement said in a statement. "We must stamp out these feelings of violent opposition."