Famed Australian Rabbi Eli Schlanger killed in Bondi Beach terrorist attack laid to rest: ‘The loss is unspeakable’
A deeply emotional funeral was held on Tuesday for the beloved 41‑year‑old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who had been slain in the Bondi Beach terrorist shooting just a few months after welcoming his first son.
The service drew a large, grieving crowd to the Chabad of Bondi, where Rabbi Schlanger had served as assistant rabbi, and they gathered to honor his memory.
The shooting took place on Sunday night, the opening evening of Hanukkah, when a father‑and‑son pair opened fire on a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered on Bondi Beach. Thirteen people were killed and dozens more wounded, including a 10‑year‑old girl and an older Holocaust survivor.
At the funeral, a fellow rabbi opened the ceremony by saying, “Over the last three days [we wished] that we would wake up and somehow realize that this was all a terrible dream. We can’t wish that anymore. We are here raw and devastated.”
He went on to describe Rabbi Schlanger as “one of the purest and most compassionate people. An outstandingly devoted husband, an exemplary loving father,” adding that “Eli was ripped away from us in the midst of doing what he did best, spreading Yiddishkeit, spreading love and joy, and caring for his people with endless self‑sacrifice.” The rabbi concluded that “This loss is massive for the entire Jewish nation, but for our community here, the loss is unspeakable.”
Schlanger’s mother‑in‑law, Rabbi Ulman, broke into tears as he addressed the assembly. He admitted that it was “unthinkable that we talk about you in the past tense,” and expressed the impossibility of having a day without his influence: “To think how I will go a day without you… that doesn’t seem possible.”
He also shared that he had received “much, much more” than the hundreds of calls that praised Rabbi Schlanger’s impact, emphasizing the rabbi’s devotion to visiting prisoners and patients in hospitals.
High‑level politicians such as Premier Chris Minns, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley attended the funeral. Police maintained a strong presence, with dozens of officers on scene and several nearby streets closed for the ceremony.
The investigation has identified a 24‑year‑old suspect, Naveed Akram, who is in critical condition after a police shooting, while the other terrorist, 50‑year‑old Sajid, was killed on the scene. The attack continues to resonate across New South Wales and the wider Jewish community, reminding everyone of the fragility of peace.
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