Details on the Victims of the Bondi Beach Mass Shooting

Two gunmen killed at least 15 people, including a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl, during a shooting on Sunday at a Hanukkah celebration held on Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach.
Authorities have described the incident as Australia’s most lethal mass shooting in almost three decades and are continuing to identify those who lost their lives. Dozens more were injured by gunfire during the attack.
Thousands of people have already visited the attack site to honor the victims, whose ages ranged from 10 to 87 years old.
The following details are currently known about the victims.
Matilda Britvan
The youngest identified victim is 10-year-old Matilda Britvan, who was at the beach with her parents, younger sister, and friends for the first night of Hanukkah. She was wounded, transported to a hospital, and later pronounced dead.
“Children should be happy. They ought to be playing on the beach, not worrying about bullets flying around,” Matilda’s aunt Lina stated to .
On a fundraising page created for her family, Matilda’s language teacher, Irina Goodhew, described her as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an organizer of the event where the shooting occurred, was also killed. He was the assistant Rabbi at the Chabad of Bondi, the host of Sunday’s “Chanukah by the Sea” party.
“For 18 years, the Schlangers served the Jewish community, but the rabbi’s influence extended far beyond the walls of a single synagogue,” the Chabad said in a . “He served as chaplain to NSW Corrective Services and NSW Prisoners of War; he was also chaplain at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, where he ministered to patients and families.”
Rabbi Schlanger, 41, was a father of five. The Chabad noted his youngest son was born in October.
“Schlanger will be laid to rest in Sydney,” the Jewish organization said.
Alex Kleytman
According to the Chabad, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman died while shielding his wife Larisa from the gunfire.
The Jewish organization added that Kleytman, 87, had two children and 11 grandchildren. CNN affiliate 9News reported that Kleytman and his wife immigrated to Australia from Ukraine and had been married for almost 60 years.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, was also among those killed. The Chabad said he was “deeply involved in Chabad operations in Sydney.”
“Yaakov Levitan was a profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” a for his family reads. “Yaakov Levitan was a profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community.”
Dan Elkayam
French national Dan Elkayam has also been confirmed as a victim.
“We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the bereaved Australian people,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a on X.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Elkayam relocated from France to Australia and had been employed by NBC Universal in Sydney for about a year.
“France will spare no effort to root out antisemitism wherever it emerges and to combat terrorism in all its forms,” Barrot said.
Reuven Morrison
Reuven Morrison, a businessman and long-term resident of Melbourne, “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney,” the said on X.
The Jewish organization stated he was survived by a wife and a daughter.
Peter Meagher
Former New South Wales detective Peter Meagher was also confirmed among the deceased by his rugby club. He served for nearly 40 years in the police force, retiring as a Detective Sergeant.
“’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,” his club wrote.
Tibor Weitzen
Tibor Weitzen, a 78-year-old grandfather and member of Bondi’s Chabad Synagogue, was celebrating at the beach with his wife and grandchildren when he was killed. His granddaughter Leor Amzalak told that Weitzen had moved to Australia from Israel in 1988.
“My grandfather was truly the best you could ask for,” Amzalak told the outlet. “He only saw the best in people and will be dearly missed.”
Marika Pogány
Marika Pogány, an 82-year-old citizen of Slovakia, was also killed in the shooting, according to a 9News report.
In a statement on The Slovak Jewish Association’s Facebook page on Monday, Slovakia’s former President Zuzana Čaputová, a close family friend, said Pogány was an “extraordinary woman who lived her life to the fullest.” “In her last message to me, Marika said ‘Live is a fight, take it as it is’.”