Bondi victim Rabbi Yaakov Levitan remembered as ‘profoundly beloved’ member of Sydney Jewish community

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was the second shliach (Chabad emissary) to be named as a victim of Sunday’s terror attack on Bondi Beach, which has so far claimed 15 lives. 

Remembered as a “profoundly beloved” member of Sydney’s Jewish community, Rabbi Levitan was secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, served as general manager of Chabad Bondi, and was a “a key figure” at the BINA Center, a Jewish educational institution in Sydney.

According to the Chabad news site COLlive, Rabbi Levitan was originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. The site also reports that he held a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management from the University of South Africa and later studied Rabbinic and Talmudic Studies at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Levitan is survived by his wife, Adina, and their children. A crowdfunder set up to support his family has so far raised AU$70,641 – just over 7 per cent of the AU$1,000,000 goal.