Emotional scenes unfolded at Bondi Beach on Thursday as the footbridge used by gunmen to target a Hanukkah celebration was reopened to the public. Mourners, including friends of the victims, gathered to pay their respects just days after the attack that claimed 15 lives.
A Bridge of Sorrow and Solidarity
When police lifted the crime scene tape shortly after 11am, a solemn procession began. Among the first to cross was a man named Noah, a close friend of the slain Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He felt compelled to visit the exact spot where two alleged terrorists opened fire on the celebration in Archer Park on Sunday evening.
"I'm feeling very emotional," Noah told reporters. Describing Rabbi Schlanger as a "fighter" and a "man of peace," he felt his duty was to come and honour his friend. "I knew I had to come here and fight. I'm a religious singer, and I felt like standing on the top of the bridge and just singing a memorial prayer for him, blasting it out with my heart."
Others stood in reflective silence, staring out at the ocean or embracing beneath the trees. Jay, who visited from Earlwood, came to show support for the Jewish community. "I think people are in shock at this stage," she said. "I hope the Jewish community feel the support they're getting from the public."
Scars of the Attack Remain Visible
The park, typically a bustling gateway to the famous beach, was hushed. A large, unlit menorah stood near the playground as police officers moved quietly through the area. The physical reminders of the violence were stark. One New South Wales police officer pointed to a tree where a colleague had taken cover, indicating divots in the bark from ricocheting bullets and calling the officer who sheltered there "very lucky."
Meanwhile, a growing memorial of flowers for the 15 victims continued to draw crowds outside the nearby Bondi Pavilion throughout the day. Waverley Council Mayor, Will Namesh, said the community had been left "in shock, in mourning and in grief" by the "unspeakable acts of evil committed here."
A Community Vows to Return and Remember
Despite the trauma, there were signs of a community determined to heal. Noah revealed that the Jewish community plans to return to the area on Sunday night to hold an event, exactly one week after the terror attack. "Schlanger brought people together," he said. "This is what he would want us to do."
By Thursday afternoon, a semblance of normalcy had returned. Surf life-savers hoisted the red and yellow flags on Bondi Beach for the first time since Sunday, and swimmers cautiously returned to the water. Yet, for visitors like Jill, who travelled from the Central Coast to lay flowers, the atmosphere was profoundly changed. "We just want them to know that they're loved, and our arms are wrapped around them," she said. "Standing right here … it's unbelievable."
