A rabbi, a traveller and a 10-year-old girl

Ten-year-old Matilda marked the first day of Hanukkah by eating cakes and playing with animals alongside her six-year-old sister.

Then, in the minutes of unconscionable terror that unfolded over Bondi Beach’s grassy surrounds, she was shot.

She was among the 15 innocents killed in the attack that also left one gunman dead. Victims include a Holocaust survivor, a young Frenchman exploring the world, and a rabbi who posted about dancing with joy.

Many of those killed and injured were members of Sydney’s Jewish community, descended from Russia and the former Soviet Union. The Bondi branch of the Chabad Orthodox Jewish community that organised Sunday’s Hanukkah event is known as F.R.E.E (Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe), and had a reputation for catering to Russian-speaking Jews across Sydney.

As of 8am on Tuesday, 25 patients remain in Sydney hospitals. Six people are in a critical condition, four are in a critical but stable condition, and 15 patients are in a stable condition.

Man and woman who bravely confronted gunman

These two unidentified bystanders may have been the first victims of the mass shooting.

A man in a purple or pink shirt, accompanied by a woman, can be seen in dashcam footage struggling with gunman Sajid Akram by his parked car on Campbell Parade. The car’s back door is open, and an IS flag is draped across the windscreen.

The unidentified man wrestles Akram, and appears to disarm him as they fall to the ground behind the vehicle. The man swings the weapon in Akram’s direction as the woman stands next to her companion.

But the pair were shot moments later and died together on the footpath next to the car.

Reuven Morrison

Morrison, 62, was killed attempting to protect his community from the two gunmen, despite being unarmed and alone as he charged towards them.

His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, identified her father as the man seen in footage hurling an object at gunman Sajid Akram after Akram was disarmed by Ahmed Al Ahmed.

“From my sources and understanding, he had jumped up the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks … he was screaming at the terrorist, and protecting his community, he was shot dead,” Gutnick told CBS News.

“If there was one way for him to go on this earth, it would be fighting a terrorist. There was no other way he would be taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved most.”

Asked what Gutnick thought when she saw the footage of her father, she said: “That’s him. That’s my dad. As I called him, my Tati, in Yiddish.

“Everyone [who] knew him knew the incredible man that was just too big for this world. The light that he added, his absolute immense and endless generosity, his sense of humour. He was just the most incredible person.”

Morrison was a member of the Chabad community and a businessman who came from the Soviet Union before he “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney”, Chabad posted on X.

He divided his time between Sydney and Melbourne, where he lived with his wife and daughter.

Chavi Block, who sheltered from the gunman with her six-month-old baby, and knew several of those killed, said Morrison was a ba’al Chesed – which means a man of great kindness.

“He would give so much charity. If anyone needed any help, they could go to him and they would give help without even questioning,” she said.

Edith Brutman

Edith Brutman attended the Chanukah By the Sea event at Bondi Beach where she was killed on Sunday night, and has been remembered as a “gracious”, “devoted”, and “passionate” member of the Jewish community.

Brutman was the vice president of an anti-prejudice and anti-discrimination committee at B’nai B’rith NSW – the NSW branch of the international Jewish community service organisation.

Ernie Friedlander, the president of the Alfred Dreyfus committee, worked closely alongside her and described her as a “good, caring human being”.

“She was a very clever lady, and she was very, very passionate about dealing with prejudice and discrimination. She was always there, and she had very strong opinions.”

B’nai B’rith confirmed Brutman’s death in a message to its members on Tuesday morning.

“Former vice president of ADU and long-time member of Aviv, Edith Brutman, was killed in the massacre. She was a gracious woman and a devoted member of B’nai B’rith NSW,” the statement said.

“We are all horrified at the tragic events that took place at the Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday night.

“We mourn all those whose lives have been brutally taken and hold those who have been injured in our thoughts. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones whose lives have been forever changed.”

Marika Pogany

Marika Pogany is being remembered as a dedicated volunteer and a beloved member of Sydney’s Jewish community.

The 82-year-old was an avid member of the Sydney COA, a volunteer service for Jewish seniors, and was previously awarded the Jewish Communal Appeal’s Mensch Award for delivering more than 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels since the late 1990s.

Sydney COA described her as a “truly remarkable and wonderful woman”, and said they were “shattered by her loss”.

“For 29 years, she arrived at COA with her quiet smile and her steady kindness. She lifted the room simply by being in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything. She showed us what true service looks like, and she did it without fanfare and without ever wanting attention.”

The Woollahra organisation said she contributed thousands of hours “not because she had to, but because caring was who she was”.

“Marika showed us how people should be cared for. She delivered kosher Meals on Wheels every week and somehow still made herself available on other days when someone needed help. If a client was struggling, she went. If an extra hand was needed, she went. She never let anyone feel alone.

“She took the time to know every person on her route. She chatted. She listened. She noticed the small things. She changed lightbulbs, literally bringing light into people’s homes. Her joy and spirit carried people through their week and through their loneliness.”

Friends of Pogany remembered her as a wonderful friend for many decades, and one of the most beautiful people they knew. She was also a 20-year member of the Harbourview Bridge Club in Rose Bay.

“She was a terrific person, excellent bridge player, and an even better friend. Incredibly loyal. I knew her for 40 years,” Harbourview Bridge Club director Matt Mullamphy said.

Matilda

The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, whose surname has been withheld at the request of the family.

Matilda’s aunt, Lina, said she was struggling to come to terms with her niece’s death. She and other members of her family initially thought the 10-year-old would survive her gunshot injuries.

“I started to scream, ‘I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it’,” she said. “I’m still kind of hoping it’s not true, but it seems like it’s true.”

Lina described Matilda as a “happy, bright” girl. “She’d always kiss me, cuddle me and give me the energy … to be happy,” she said.

“I will never see her smile again, only in my photographs.”

The family knew several of the dead and injured victims, Lina said.

Matilda’s language teacher, Irina Goodhew, launched a GoFundMe page for the family, writing: “I knew her as a bright, joyful and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”

Dan Elkayam

French national Dan Elkayam, whose killing was reported by France’s president Emmanuel Macron, was remembered as a star soccer player and popular figure.

The IT analyst for NBC Universal grew up in the north-western suburbs of Paris, and had been living in Australia for several years.

He lived with his girlfriend in Sydney’s east. His teammates at Rockdale Ilinden Football Club said he was “an extremely talented and popular figure” on the Premier League 1 team.

“To say we are shocked would be an understatement,” said Dennis Loether, the club’s president.

“Football was his passion, together with spending time on the beach and socialising with friends … He loved the Australian way of life.

“Those who were closest to him described him as a down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky individual who was warmly embraced by those he met,” Loether said. “His smiling face and respectful nature will be sorely missed by his teammates and everyone that knew him. We pray for him and for his family.”

Eli Schlanger

Also among the dead is Eli Schlanger, 41, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, husband to Chaya, and father of five, the youngest a newborn boy.

The British-born Schlanger danced with joy and defiance in a video he posted to X during Hanukkah last year, telling his followers that it was the best way to fight antisemitism.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane described Schlanger as “a beautiful man and a great leader”.

Rabbi Schapiro of Chabad North Shore said Schlanger was the first rabbi in Sydney to fly to Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack.

“He was one of the most effective rabbis in Sydney and was fully committed to caring and helping people grow,” Schapiro said.

“The message he would want everyone in the community to know is that we cannot allow this hate to continue without light and we must ask everyone to do something in a positive way.

“Whether it be volunteering or simply lighting a Hanukkah candle, it’s the message he would have.”

Schlanger is also being remembered for his work with Corrective Services NSW after joining as a chaplain in 2022.

Corrective Services NSW commissioner Gary McCahon said Schlanger was a valued member of the organisation who devoted his time to supporting others with compassion and dignity.

Block said Schlanger “was just a lover of humanity and peace for the world”.

Yaakov Levitan

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (a rabbinic court) and worked at the BINA Centre of Jewish learning.

On Sunday at the Bondi Beach event he was handing out tefillin – two small black boxes containing Torah scrolls typically worn by Jewish men on their arms and head during morning prayers, Chabad-affiliated news website Anash.org reported.

Block, who knew Levitan through her father, his good friend, said he was “the biggest do-gooder, helper, if you needed anything done you could go to him”.

“These are three massive losses for the Jewish community, but specifically for the Chabad community,” she said of Morrison, Schlanger and Levitan.

Schapiro described his close friend as “always a bright light and never cowered”.

“It’s hard for me to even breathe when I think about him … we are absolutely devastated he is gone,” Schapiro said.

He said Levitan’s wife was at Chabad North Shore synagogue in St Ives when news of the shooting began trickling through.

“As soon as we heard [Yaakov] was in hospital she broke down in tears and ran to the hospital, but sadly he didn’t make it.”

Peter Meagher

Randwick Rugby Club confirmed the death of retired police detective and rugby union player Peter Meagher, known as Marzo.

“Peter was working as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event,” Mark Harrison, club general manager wrote in a message to members. “[F]or him, it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

“The tragic irony that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a police officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend,” Harrison wrote.

Steve Keys, remembering his friend of 30 years, said Marzo was always a lovely man with “mountains of friends”.

“Peter not only served our country upholding our safety and laws. He actively gave back to society through his love of our sport, giving tirelessly,” Keys wrote on Facebook.

“What better way to live your life than practising something you love,” Keys said. “Rest in Peace ‘Marzo’ – we all love you and will miss you greatly. We are devastated.”

Alex Kleytman

Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor and native of Ukraine, had attended the event with his wife, Larissa Kleytman.

Speaking outside St Vincent’s Hospital, she said, “I have no husband. I don’t know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer.”

Chabad reported Kleytman died shielding his wife from bullets.

“[H]e leaves behind two children and 11 grandchildren,” Chabad reported on X.

Tibor Weitzen

Tibor Weitzen, a 78-year-old grandfather and proud family man, was attending the Chanukah By the Sea event with his wife Eva when he was killed.

Weitzen’s grandson-in-law Mendy Amzalak recalled spending the afternoon with Tibor in the hours before the shooting.

“I don’t live too far from the beach [and] when we heard shots firing I came running down from the house with a defibrillator and was helping the people in front of me,” Amzalak said.

“As more and more first responders arrived, I went over to look for Tibor. It was the most horrific site any family member could ever see – I have not been able to close my eyes since.

“It’s something I won’t ever be able to forget.”

Weitzen was born in 1947 in the former Soviet Union before migrating to Israel, then to Australia in the late 1980s.

He is being remembered as a beloved and cherished member of the Bondi Shul and the Russian Jewish community, bringing joy to everyone he met – especially the children at the Bondi Shul.

“In every Shul there’s someone called the ‘lolly man’ whose job is to keep the kids quiet by giving them lollies so as not to disrupt the sermons,” Amzalak said. “In the Bondi Shul, that was Tibor.”

Amzalak said he would be remembered for the light he brought to others.

“My wife’s pregnant and to think my second child won’t meet their grandfather is heartbreaking.”

Forty-year-old man

An unidentified 40-year-old man was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Sunday but died at the hospital, NSW Police said in a statement on Monday.

Dozens injured, remain in hospital

Forty-two patients had been transported or presented to several Sydney hospitals. Two of these patients died of their injuries, and 13 had been discharged by early Monday afternoon.

Schapiro said Sunday’s shooting is being felt across Sydney’s Jewish community, with everyone seemingly “knowing someone either directly or indirectly” who has been affected.

Schapiro’s nephew, Leibel Lazaroff, was among those seriously injured during the attack. He remains in a coma in hospital in a stable condition. Lazaroff, aged 20, had only recently arrived in Sydney as a student from his home in Texas.

“His parents are devastated and in shock, and they’re flying to Sydney to be by his bedside,” Schapiro said. “It’s affected us all.”

With Nicole Precel and Jonathan Drennan