At least one further Holocaust survivor – a dedicated volunteer who spent decades delivering meals to members of the community – was killed, while a great-grandfather beloved by children in his shul for his habit of handing out sweets in synagogue is also among the dead.
Identified by Australian media by just her first name at the request of her family, Matilda has been described as “just a happy kid” with lots of friends and who loved school.
Ten-year-old Matilda has been identified as the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach terror attack (Photo: Family handout)[Missing Credit]
Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Matilda’s aunt said her niece was taken to the Sydney Children's Hospital after being injured in the shooting, but had lost a lot of blood and could not be saved.
"Matilda was very friendly, she loves school, and has a lot of friends," her aunt, identified as Lina, said.
She added that Matilda’s younger sister, who did not sustain any injuries, was “in absolute shock … she's missing her sister badly.
"Imagine you see your beautiful sister that you love just being killed in front of you,” she added. "They were like twins – they've never been separated."
Authorities have released the names of eight other victims so far. They are British rabbi Eli Schlanger, Holocaust survivors Alexander Kleytman and and Marika Pogany, retired police officer Peter Meagher, French engineer and footballer Dan Elkayam, prominent local rabbi Yaakov Levitan, grandfather Reuven Morrison and great-grandfather Tibor Weitzen.
The “devoted” Rabbi Schlanger was brought up in Temple Fortune in north-west London, part of a large family many of whom have become rabbis.
His great uncle was Rabbi Leslie Olsberg who served for many years at Heaton Park synagogue, the scene of a murderous attack at Yom Kippur.
After that attack Rabbi Schlanger wrote a social media post calling on the Australian premier to stop “fuelling terrorism by legitimising those who spread hate”. He added: “This attack must serve as a wake up call for strength, for clarity and for unity.”
His cousin Rabbi Dovid Lewis told Sky News that Rabbi Schlanger “dedicated his life to spreading light”. He pledged to carry on his work, “darkness can only be combatted with light.” Rabbi Schlanger was the father of five children, one only a few months old.
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman was named as another victim. His wife Leila – also a Shoah survivor – said she believed that her husband had been shot because he had been protecting her. The couple came from Ukraine and had been married for five decades. Alex Kleytman survived the Holocaust with his mother and younger brother in Siberia.
A Jewish engineer from France, Dan Elkayam, 27, has been confirmed by French officials to be one of the victims murdered in the attack. He had emigrated to Australia around a year ago.
An avid footballer, he played for Rockdale Ilinden FC in Sydney. The club remembered him as “an integral member” of its first XI squad in a statement, saying: “[He was] an extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates.”
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said: “It is with deep sorrow that we have learned that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the vile terrorist attack that targeted Jewish families gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney on the first night of Hanukkah.
“We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the bereaved Australian people. This heinous act is yet another tragic expression of the shocking surge in antisemitic hatred to which we must put a stop.
"France will spare no effort to root out antisemitism wherever it appears and to fight terrorism in all its forms. The lights of Hanukkah must not go out and will not go out.”
Another Holocaust survivor, Marika Pogany was killed aged 82. Pogany was well known in the community having won the 2019 “Mensch Award”, handed out by New South Wales charity the Jewish Communal Appeal, for delivering in excess of 12,000 kosher “Meals on Wheels” over a period of 23 years.
Tibor Weitzen – a great-grandfather affectionately known as “the lollipop man” due to his habit of handing out sweets to children at shul – was 78 years old when he was killed.
He had attended the “Chanukah on the Beach” with his wife and grandchildren, and was shot at while shielding loved ones, according to Chabad, which organised what had been billed as a family occasion.
Weitzen was a “beloved” member of the Bondi Chabad Synagogue, Chabad News reported, while his granddaughter, Leor Amzalak, said of him: "My grandfather was truly the best you could ask for.”
Peter Meagher, known as “Marzo”, was working as a freelance photographer at the family event.
He was a central figure at Sydney’s Randwick Rugby Club, where he “was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club”, Mark Harrison, the club’s general manager, said.
A former police officer, he was “struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role”, Harrison said.
This is a breaking story and is being updated
