Waverley deputy mayor Keri Spooner said it “was far too soon to be making definitive decisions” and urged the response to the attack not to be solely defined by debate around the pedestrian bridges.
“The council will be listening to everyone in our community, and nothing will be happening until an appropriate time,” she said.
Councillors at Thursday’s meeting also voted in favour of a range of other measures in response to the attack, including holding a civic function in appreciation and gratitude of first responders, dedicating mural panels along the Bondi Beach Sea Wall promenade to community artwork for 12 months, and holding an exhibition at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery showcasing the cultural and community artistic response to the tragedy.
Friends of Bondi Pavilion member Nicolette Boaz, speaking at the meeting, called on councillors to honour the heritage value of the existing bridges and broader parklands.
“The parklands, the beach, the pavilion, and the bridge are synonymous with Bondi and we cannot let the terrible attack that happened hurt us more by allowing the destruction of public heritage,” she said.
Those sentiments were shared by Sandy Hollis of the Sydney Jewish Museum, who advocated for the bridges to be retained as a memorial to those killed and as a “lasting symbol of what Australia stands for”.
Residents attend the Waverley Council meeting in Bondi Junction on Thursday.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Shua Solomon, president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW, called for the memorial to become a “public display of Jewish pride and light”.
Michelle Goldman – chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies – said the December attack had “left lasting scars that have touched every corner of Waverley just as it touched every corne of the Jewish community”.
“Jewish communities across Australia have experienced unprecedented levels of antisemitism since October 7, 2003 – it has no place here, not in our schools, not in our universities, not in our streets and public places and certainly not in Bondi,” she told the meeting.
Goldman also urged other councils to follow Waverley Council’s lead by adopting strategies that carried commitments to combat antisemitism in local communities.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Read the full article here
