World
Australia to observe national day of mourning to honour Bondi terror victims
The theme of the day will be ‘light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance’
January 20, 2026 17:03
The theme of the day will be ‘light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance’
January 20, 2026 17:03Australia will observe a national day of mourning this week to honour the victims of the the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Australian flags on all government buildings will be lowered to half mast and the public will be invited to to observe a minute’s silence at 7:01pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time – the time zone used in Sydney in the summer months – and to leave a candle on their doorstep or in their window.
A theme for the day has been selected by the Chabad Bondi community – “Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance”.
National institutions in the country’s capital, Canberra, and across the state of New South Wales will be illuminated in the evening, according to Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which today announced the day.
A commemorative installation created at the request of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) will see light beams projected into the sky at 15 locations around the country, one for each of the victims killed by terrorists during the antisemitic shooting on December 14, when members of the community gathered on Bondi Beach at a Chabad-run family event to celebrate the first night of Chanukah.
Announcing the day of mourning, prime minister Anthony Albanase said: “It is also a time for Australians of all faiths and backgrounds to come together, share a meal and spend time with family and friends and to individually or together undertake mitzvahs [acts of kindness] for Bondi.”
Speaking on Sky News Australia, Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive of ECAJ said: “There’s an important concept in Jewish culture and tradition of finding the good in every dark situation, and ensuring that no matter how bleak the day, that we fill the world with light to overcome that.”
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