About 24 hours after the terrorist attack on Sydney's Bondi beach, Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins stood in Hyde Park and delivered a message of unity. 'So many in our Jewish community have received messages of love from leaders in different faith communities, from Palestinian friends and friends around this country,' he said. 'We are learning we are all just flesh and blood, and we are all also the light.'
The vigil on Monday evening commemorated the 15 killed and dozens injured in Sunday's antisemitic attack. Bilal Rauf, special adviser at the Australian National Imams Council, offered 'deep heartbreak and condolences', noting the pain reminded him of his own community after the 2019 Christchurch massacre. Afterwards, the pair embraced as the crowd applauded.
Kamins, from the Emmanuel Synagogue in Woollahra, said the essence of the vigil was recognising 'we are all human beings first'. He noted an outpouring of spontaneous acts of kindness, including flowers placed in front of his synagogue and letters from faith leaders and neighbours. 'The message is, you are not alone,' he said.
Vigils have been held across Sydney and Melbourne, bringing together people of different faiths and secular backgrounds. Sydney Friends of Standing Together hosted a memorial event on Monday evening, originally planned as a Hanukah and Christmas celebration but adapted to pay tribute to the victims. About 50 people gathered to hear the Kaddish alongside Muslim and Christian prayers and secular messages.
Ann Porcino, who grew up Catholic with Jewish heritage, said the multi-faith blessings were 'us reaching for each other'. Dr Munther Emad, a Palestinian Australian, spoke at the event: 'I felt it's a duty of me... saying that I just want to let you know that you're not alone in your sense of despair and grief.' Fahimah Badrulhisham, co-president of the Muslim Collective, said the group shared a determination for the attack not to lead to escalating violence.
