Memorial in honour to victims of a mass shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney
Credit: Reuters Photo
Among the 15 victims of a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach targeting an event for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah were two who tried to thwart the attack, and others who died shielding friends and family, according to family members, officials and local media reports. The victims' ages ranged from 10 to 87, and 21 survivors remain in hospital. A 50-year-old alleged gunman was killed by police, while his alleged accomplice and son, 24, has awoken from a coma after wounds suffered during an exchange of fire with police. Funerals for the victims began on Wednesday. Following are details of 13 of those killed:
Boris Tetleroyd
Husband and father Tetleroyd was killed in the Bondi attack, in which his son was also injured, according to a fundraising post by his niece on social media.
"Our family is grieving the sudden and violent loss of a beloved husband and father in the Bondi attack," Leia Roitour said in a social media post that said the son was "recovering" in hospital.
Boris and Sofia Gurman
The couple were named by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as those seen in footage, which showed Boris tackling one of the gunmen and disarming him before apparently being shot dead. Sydney Morning Herald said the couple were Russian-Jewish, citing a statement from the family.
“In recent days, we have become aware of footage showing Boris, with Sofia by his side, courageously attempting to disarm an attacker in an effort to protect others," the Herald cited the statement as saying. "While nothing can lessen the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness."
Edith Brutman
Brutman, 68, was remembered as a woman with a "heart of gold," according to local media reports, who was attending the event with a friend, Tibor Weitzen, who was killed while trying to shield her.
“Our beloved Edith was a woman of integrity who chose humanity, every day. She met prejudice with principle, and division with service," her family said in a statement to national broadcaster the ABC.
Tibor Weitzen
Great-grandfather and husband Tibor Weitzen, 78, was fatally wounded while shielding his wife, who survived, and family friend Edith Brutman, who was killed in the attack, local media reported. His death was confirmed to Reuters by his former employer, automotive engineering firm Knorr-Bremse, where he worked for 16 years until his retirement in 2015.
Reuven Morrison
Reuven Morrison, 62, was shot dead after trying to halt the bloodshed, his daughter Sheina Gutnick told American broadcaster CBS News in a report published on Monday.
"He had jumped the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks. He was screaming at the terrorist and protecting his community,” she said. “If there is one way for him to go on this earth it would be fighting a terrorist.”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Schlanger, 41, was assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which put on the event. He died protecting his family, family friend Sorella told Sky News. His wife Chaya was grazed by a bullet in the attack and the couple's newborn is still receiving treatment in hospital after being hit by shrapnel, Sky News reported.
Chabad is a global Jewish organisation whose mission is to foster Jewish identity and connection. Schlanger was British-born but had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years, and had recently become a father for the fifth time.
"Nothing was too big for him," said friend Alex Ryvchin, who is also Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
"He would drive out to regional parts of the state and sit with prisoners in our jails and listen to their stories," he added. "He was the sort of person who illuminated our lives with kindness, his grace and generosity."
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Humility defined father of four, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, a man who was instrumental in many of the city's Jewish institutions and also in planning Sunday's event, according to Chabad. Levitan was born in Johannesburg.
“He was the spine of all Jewish organisations in Sydney,” said Avremi Joseph, a Sydney community member and Schlanger’s brother-in-law, according to Chabad. “When something needed to get done, it was Yaakov,” Joseph said, in the report by Chabad.
Alex Kleytman
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, attended the event with his wife Larisa, his children and grandchildren, Chabad and Australian media reported.
The couple were Holocaust survivors and had recounted their experiences to aged-care provider JewishCare, which referred to Alex’s harrowing memories of the "dreadful conditions in Siberia, where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival".
The "scars of the past" did not deter them from seeking a brighter future in Australia, emigrating from Ukraine, the provider wrote in its 2022/2023 annual report.
Matilda Britvan
A primary school student, 10-year-old Matilda was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney. Irina Goodhew, the girl's language teacher, set up a GoFundMe account. "I knew her as a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her."
Marika Pogany
The death of the Slovak woman was confirmed by President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini. She was a close friend of former Slovak president Zuzana Caputova, Caputova said in a social media post. "Sydney was her haven, far from the evils of fascism and communism," Caputova wrote.
"She passed away at her beloved Bondi Beach. Marika was an exceptional woman, she lived her life to the fullest."
Peter Meagher
A retired police detective and long-time rugby volunteer, Meagher was struck down while working as a freelance photographer at the event, Randwick Rugby Club said in a statement.
"'Marzo' as he was universally known, was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby," the club said.
"The tragic irony is 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," it said.
"For him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time."
Dan Elkayam
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that French national Dan Elkayam was killed in the shootings.
Elkayam, who media reported was 27, had gone to celebrate at the festival. He had been providing technical support to global media company NBC Universal in Sydney since last December, according to his LinkedIn page.
He played soccer with the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club premier league squad where he was "an extremely talented and popular figure," the club said on social media.