Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue on Wednesday to bid a heartbreaking farewell to Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the 16 victims killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack on Sunday evening.
A Community in Unbearable Pain
The funeral service began with a rabbi articulating the collective grief, stating, "We are crying in unbearable pain... in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated in our city." He honoured Rabbi Schlanger, a father-of-five, as a man "ripped away from us in the midst of doing what he did best - spreading love and joy." The rabbi emphasised that in both life and death, Schlanger "towered above as one of the holiest souls," marking a profound loss for the Jewish community globally.
The 45-year-old rabbi was shot dead just after 6.40pm on Sunday while shielding his family from gunfire. The attack targeted hundreds of Jewish Australians celebrating the first night of Hanukkah at the iconic Sydney beach. His wife, Chaya, was grazed by a bullet and was released from hospital on Monday. Tragically, their two-month-old baby boy, struck in the leg by shrapnel, remains at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick and could not attend his father's funeral.
A Family's Horror and a Nation's Grief
A close friend of Chaya Schlanger, Sorella, described the sheer horror of the attack to Sky News on Tuesday. "The sheer evil for somebody to shoot at babies, at women, at old people, it's horrific," she said. She recounted how Chaya, while hiding to protect herself and her infant, did not initially realise she had been hit. "At the same time as Chaya was hit by a bullet, she was also trying to keep her husband alive and begging the local nurse and surfer to keep doing CPR," Sorella revealed, adding that the baby is "not out of the woods."
Ahead of the Wednesday morning service, police lined Wellington Street, which was closed for the funeral. Emotional scenes unfolded outside the synagogue as mourners embraced. One attendee, wrapped in an Australian flag, broke down in tears, directing frustration at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. "What is needed is education, it’s not about stopping a bullet," he said, choking on his words.
A Life of Service Cut Short
Rabbi Schlanger, originally from the UK, had led the Chabad mission in Bondi for nearly two decades and was one of the organisers of the targeted 'Chanukah by the Sea' event. His cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, struggling to process the loss, told the British Jewish News: "How can a joyful rabbi who went to a beach to spread happiness and light... have his life ended in this way?" He remembered Schlanger as "bubbly" and dedicated to encouraging good deeds.
The alleged attackers have been identified as father and son Naveed Akram, 50, and Sajid Akram, 24. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram, recovering from bullet wounds in hospital under police guard, is expected to face criminal charges.
The service concluded with the rabbi's five children being told their father would always be with them, a small comfort for a family and a community shattered by an act of terror during a festival of light.
