Sydney mom reveals horrifying moment Bondi Beach terrorists opened fire while children fled

Sarah Vanunu grew up in Australia but spent her twenties in Israel before returning a few years ago with her husband and three kids to Sydney’s eastside.

Her middle child, Zacky, turned 13 this year—a milestone that made him the first senior in his grade to qualify for a bar mitzvah. The family attends the annual “Chanukah by the Sea” fireworks and beach celebration, so they thought it would be a smart idea to hold the ceremony nearby so other families could drop their children off and enjoy the festivities.

“We rented the big room downstairs and invited the whole grade because my son is the eldest and this was the first bar mitzvah,” she told news.com.au. “It was the first weekend of the summer holidays and the first night of Hanukkah.”

In the days leading up to the event, Vanunu sent a reminder text to other parents, warning of the crush and suggesting they consider a rideshare rather than driving.

Everything started as planned. “People arrived, we took pictures, there was a buzz of excitement, and the music—Israeli tunes and the flag—began around 6:30 p.m. We had a bit of dancing.” She added, “100 kids were dancing for about 15 minutes.”

Not far away, a father and son—Sajid and Naveed Akram—entered Bondi with rifles, reportedly firing at bystanders, including children. Vanunu recalled, “We had 15 minutes of pure joy and celebration, then gunshots started.”

She describes how the party abruptly shattered: “Pretty quickly, people heard it because we had the whole courtyard booked, there were many guests outdoors, and the glass doors were open.” Footage captured the moment, showing guests scrambling inside as the sound of shells rang out.

“People began to run, and people were screaming ‘run, run, run, there’s a shooter,’” she said. “So many kids got caught up in the stampede, and we lost them.”

‘Started hearing people scream’

Chaos took hold fast. Beachgoers and nearby residents fled toward the pavilion for safety, with everyone seeking refuge in the back room.

“We started hearing people scream ‘get inside’ and they pushed us into the back room and closed the door. There was no air conditioning and it was scorching,” she explained.

Vanunu said that while the ceremony had a turnout of roughly 200 guests, more and more frightened strangers joined the crowd as the situation escalated. “Moms got separated from their children, and there was a lot of screaming, ‘Where are people?’ We couldn’t account for everyone.”

She managed to keep her family together, but many parents struggled to locate their kids. “We got updates that some of the children fled to the police station, some tried to find their families, and some of my own kids ran from rockets in Israel. It was a first‑time experience for them of being surrounded by so many distressed people.”

‘Shared moment of humanity’

Vanunu added that because her son was the oldest in his year, every other attendee was under 12. None of the parents had faced an active threat before, and no one knew how the gunmen would act while they were hidden. “Some were very brave and tried to calm others,” she observed, “but many had a hard time, especially the frantic adults searching for their children.”

She found a glimmer of comfort in the fact that the unexpected interruption meant she had leftover food and drinks to share with those seeking shelter. “It felt like a ‘shared moment of humanity,’ being able to literally break bread with people while we hid inside and prayed for safety.”

‘Where are my kids?’

Vanunu estimates the group spent about two hours inside, with police urging them to stay at the venue. “When we finally left, we were escorted by officers across Campbell Parade, and we had to leave everything—chairs, tables, dishes—behind.”

She learned of the tragic toll only when she approached a McDonald’s down the road and encountered a woman covered in blood who informed her, “My husband was killed.”

Investigations later confirmed 15 innocent victims, including a 10‑year‑old named Matilda, and over 40 injuries.

Even after leaving the pavilion, Vanunu’s relief was short‑lived. “I knew my family was safe, but so many children were missing, having fled during the gunfire.” She said the responsibility of inviting an entire grade felt crushing: “I had phone calls from parents asking, ‘Where are my kids?’ I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know where theirs had gone, and the chaos meant many had left their phones behind.”

In the days that followed, she learned that every child who attended her son’s bar mitzvah had ultimately survived and returned home. “All the kids are safe and it is a f—ing miracle,” she stated.

Reflecting, Vanunu acknowledges the close call and believes the day’s timing was crucial. “I think if the gunman had known that a bar mitzvah was happening right near the beach, he might have entered the pavilion and started shooting.” She explains, “They had no idea there was a bar mitzvah under their noses. If he had turned right instead of left, we would have been sitting ducks.”

Even though she is relieved, she recognizes that many—the children in particular—may remain traumatized. Her daughter recently asked whether she could move her bed away from the window for a sense of security.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that his bar mitzvah was meant to happen when it did,” Vanunu says. “If it hadn’t been held on that day, so many of his classmates would have been at the festival,” she added. “I know that this bar mitzvah saved many lives.”