By Scott Murdoch and Christine Chen
MELBOURNE, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Among the 15 victims of a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach targeting an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday were a rabbi who was a father of five, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old-girl, according to interviews, officials and local media reports.
Some 40 people were taken to hospital, including two police and four children, one of whom later died from her wounds. Police say the attack was carried out by a father and son, and their victims’ ages ranged from as young as 10 to 87. The 50-year-old alleged gunman was killed by police.
Following are details of those killed:
RABBI ELI SCHLANGER,
Schlanger 41, was assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which put on the event.
Chabad is a global Jewish organisation whose mission is to foster Jewish identity and connection. Schlanger was British born but had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years, and had recently become a father for the fifth time.
“Nothing was too big for him,” said friend Alex Ryvchin who is also Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. “He would drive out to regional parts of the state and sit with prisoners in our jails and listen to their stories. He would go to Waterloo and Redfern and to the public housing and sit with the elderly, he would listen to their stories and feed them and make sure they had meals and kosher products. He was the sort of person who illuminated our lives with kindness, his grace and generosity.”
Schlanger’s brother-in-law, Rabbi Mendel Kastel, said the family was “broken”.
“They have fallen apart,” Kastel told Reuters. Kastel said that for the rabbi’s wife, her best friend’s husband was also killed in the shootings.
“They were best friends through school and both lost their husbands here. The rabbi has a baby only a few months old. It’s very, very difficult, it’s too early to tell how they will be feeling, how it will land, they are in shock.”
DAN ELKAYAM
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that French national, Dan Elkayam, was killed in the shootings.
Elkayam, who local media reported was in his late twenties and had gone down to celebrate at the festival, had been providing technical support to global media company NBC Universal in Sydney since last December, according to his LinkedIn page. He had a Bachelor’s degree of computer systems and a Master of engineering systems, and was previously based in Paris.
MATILDA
A primary school student, 10-year-old Matilda, died on Sunday night, her aunt confirmed on social media, according to local media. She was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney. She has been described as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to those around her”, local media reported.
REUVEN MORRISON
According to a report by Chabad, another victim was identified as Reuven Morrison, described as “a member of the Chabad community who divided his time between Melbourne and Sydney.
ALEX KLEYTMAN
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, attended the event with his children and grandchildren, Chabad said.
RABBI YAAKOV LEVITAN
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organisation Beth Din, Chabad said.
TIBOR WEITZEN
Father and husband Tibor Weitzen has been identified as one of the victims after he was fatally wounded while shielding his wife from the gunfire who survived the attack, the Daily Mail reported.
(Editing by Lincoln Feast)
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