Hersh’s Hanukkah Lights
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The names of 12 people murdered at the Bondi Beach Hanukkah party in Sydney have been released.
Fifteen people were murdered and about 40 people injured when ISIS-inspired terrorists opened fire on a massive beachfront Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on the first night of Hanukkah.
Police have not released the names of the victims, though some families have told the public the identities of loved ones who were killed. Here are the names of the dozen victims who have been publicly named so far. They include children and elderly people, philanthropists, rabbis and charity workers, a Holocaust survivor, and those who selflessly gave of their time to others. Several of the victims died while trying to save others.
Ten-year-old Matilda Britvan was enjoying the Hanukkah celebration with her six-year-old sister Summer and their parents, Michael and Valentyna Britvan. Before the attack began, Matilda’s family videoed her petting animals in a petting zoo and smiling amidst the celebrations. At some point during the party she had a sparkly blue dolphin painted on her face.
Matilda was shot in front of her family. When the attack was over Matilda was raced to a nearby hospital where she died on the operating table; her parents and sister never got to say goodbye. In the days since her death, Michael has asked people to remember Matilda’s name, perhaps by drawing pictures of bees, in reference to her middle name.
Matilda’s father describes her as a “beautiful person.” Matilda’s aunt Lina Chernykh remembers her as “a happy kid…. Everywhere she goes, she was like a sun.” Matilda’s brother has said that Matilda knew she was loved within her close-knit, warm family. A teacher describes Matilda as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”
“We want happy Matilda running on the beach” again her heart-broken aunt explains.
Edith Brutman was an indefatigable leader of Sydney’s Jewish community who served as the vice president of B’nai Brith in New South Wales, charged with battling prejudice. A colleague, Ernie Friedlander, describes 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.”
Her family has said: “Our beloved Edith was a woman of integrity who chose humanity, every day. She met prejudice with principle, and division with service. Our family mourns her deeply, but we ask that her life, not the senseless violence that took it, be what endures. We hope her memory calls us as a nation back to decency, courage, and peace.”
Edith was a beloved grandmother. In recent weeks she’d been ill and not able to get out much; she was incredibly excited to be able to attend the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration. As she tried to shelter from the terrorists, Tibor Weitzen, who also was murdered, tried to shield Edith with his own body.
Dan Elkayam, 27, was a French Jew who loved to travel. At the time of his murder he’d been living in Sydney for about a year. He enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend Krystal and was building a life for himself in Australia. Dan worked as a software engineer and loved playing soccer on a local team, the Rockdale Linden Football Club.
Dan grew up in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget, one of four boys. “We are four brothers and, of the four of us, he was, to me, the kindest of all,” explained his older brother Jeremy. Jeremy described Dan as “an extraordinary person who enjoyed life, not materialistic at all, who understood the value of things, and who loved to travel.”
At the time of his murder, Dan was trying to save a 12-year-old girl who was also massacred, whose name has not yet been released to the public by her family.
Boris Gurman, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, were the first victims to die in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre. Russian Jews, they were walking along Campbell Parade in Bondi near the Hanukkah celebration when they saw Sajid Akram, one of the shooters, park and emerge from his car on the busy road. The terrorist’s front windshield was draped in an Islamic State flag and he was brandishing a rifle.
Other passersby raced for cover behind a nearby bus stop, but Boris and Sophia didn’t hesitate. They ran towards the terrorist, pushing him over and managing to wrest his rifle out of his hands. Boris and Sofia then pointed the terrorists’ own weapon at him. Their incredible bravery might have prevented the massacre had the terrorist not been armed with other weapons. He pulled out a second gun and shot both Boris and Sofia at point blank range. They died in each other’s arms.
The couple’s family noted that “Boris was a retired mechanic, known for his generosity, quiet strength and willingness to lend a hand to anyone in need. Sofia worked at Australia Post and was deeply loved by colleagues and community. Bondi locals, together they lived honest, hard-working lives and treated everyone they met with kindness, warmth, and respect. Boris and Sofia were devoted to their family and to each other. They were the heart of our family, and their absence has left an immeasurable void.”
Sofia was about to celebrate her 62nd birthday on December 17; both she and Boris were looking forward to marking their 35th wedding anniversary in January 2026.
Alex Kleytman, a 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, was murdered while shielding his wife Larisa from bullets. Alex and Larisa attended the Hanukkah celebration together; they had been married nearly 60 years. “He came on Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah. For us it was always a very, very good celebration, for many, many years,” Larisa explained. “I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” Larisa has said. She described that as they lay on the ground, he covered her body with his to protect her.
Alex and Larisa were originally from Ukraine. When he was a child, Alex survived the Holocaust by hiding in Siberia in very difficult conditions with his mother and brother. After the war, he returned to Ukraine and married Larisa, who also is a Holocaust survivor, before emigrating to Australia, where they brought up their two children. He is survived by 11 grandchildren.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was an unmistakable presence in Jewish Sydney. As General Manager of Chabad of Bondi, secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (Jewish rabbinical court), and a local educator, he was a “profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” his friends recall. He was also the “cornerstone of his family.” A fundraising page in his memory notes: “He was a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others, including his commitment to distributing tefillin as a sacred act of service.”
During the Bondi Beach Hanukkah party, Rabbi Levitan was helping male visitors don tefillin and say a prayer while wearing these important Jewish ritual objects.
Chavi Block, who was at the celebration and sheltered her six-month-old baby during the shooting, recalls Rabbi Levitan as a wonderful person. He was “the biggest do-gooder, helper. If you needed anything done you could go to him.”
Peter Meagher was working as a photographer at the Hanukkah party when he was struck by a bullet and murdered. Peter had retired as a detective sergeant after working for 40 years with the New South Wales Police.
He’d spent the past ten years volunteering with a local rugby team, Randwick Rugby. The team said after his death: “‘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.”
Reuven Morrison, 62, moved to Australia to escape antisemitism in the Soviet Union. In Australia, he became a successful businessman and was known for his incredible generosity at philanthropy. During the massacre, he acted with incredible heroism, standing up and throwing bricks at one of the attackers.
“From my sources and understanding, he had jumped up the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks at the terrorist,” explained Reuven’s daughter Sheina Gutnick. “He was screaming at the terrorist, and protecting his community, and he was shot dead.”
“If there was one way for him to go on this earth, it would be fighting a terrorist,” his daughter explained. “There was no other way he would be taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved most.”
Marika Pogany, 82, was an energetic, giving woman who spent much of her life volunteering to help others.
For the past 30 years, Marika had volunteered for the local chapter of Meals on Wheels and COA Sydney, a group providing services to elderly Jews in Sydney.
At Meals on Wheels, Marika won the group’s Mensch Award for delivering an incredible 12,000 meals to homebound people. “Marika showed us how people should be cared for,” the organization has said in the wake of her murder. “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.”
COA Sydney described Marika as the “beating heart” of the charity group and a “source of warmth for thousands of people” through it. She showed us what true service looks like and she did it without fanfare and without ever wanting attention… Marika gave real love to this community and her impact runs deep,” COA said after her murder.
“She was a terrific person, excellent bridge player, and an even better friend,” recalled Harbourview Bridge Club director Matt Mullamphy, who knew Markia for 40 years. He described her as “incredibly loyal” and devoted to her friends.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, and his wife had just welcomed their new baby son six weeks ago, their fifth child. A beloved local rabbi, Rabbi Schlanger was known as “the Bondi Rabbi” and was one of the organizers of the beachside Hanukkah party. His friends, relatives, and colleagues remember him as incredibly energetic, kind, and giving.
“This was a man who got up every morning with the purpose of doing good. That’s all he did,” recalled Alex Ryvchin, a member of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. “He drove around, and he gave things to charity, and he fed the needy. And he visited prisoners in prisons. And he just lived to do good things.” Rabbi Schlanger was the “best of us,” he added.
Rabbi Schlanger also worked as a chaplain in local jails. Gary McCahon, the Corrective Services NSW Commissioner, described Rabbi Schlanger as “devoted to supporting others with compassion and dignity,” no matter what their life circumstances.
As Rabbi Schlanger lay shot and dying, he was cradled by his fellow Jewish leader, Rabbi Menachem Dadon. Rabbi Dadon’s daughter was also shot in the attack but survived.
Tibor Weitzen, 78, was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel before arriving in Australia in the 1980s. He was attending the Hanukkah party with his wife Eva and their grandchildren when he was murdered. He perished while using his body to shield another victim who also was killed.
Tibor was a beloved fixture in the Bondi Shul, where, he grandson-in-law Mendy Amzalak has explained, he was known for giving children lollipops.
New South Wales officials have announced that another of the victims is a 12-year-old girl. Her name has not yet been released to the public.
This Hanukkah, let’s remember these brave souls who were cut down as they celebrated a Jewish festival, and resolve to live our own lives better because of them.
