Statement by Lubavitch HQ on Sydney Chanukah Massacre

Statement by Lubavitch Headquarters on Sydney Chanukah Massacre:

We are devastated and heartbroken by the barbaric terror attack against a public Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, on the first night of Chanukah.

We grieve for the families whose loved ones were murdered, among them Chabad emissary Rabbi Elie Schlanger, who led the Chanukah celebration with the people of Bondi Beach. Rabbi Schlanger devoted his life to sharing Jewish warmth, faith, and community with others. He was doing exactly what he had been sent to do—bringing light and joy into the public square—when his life was cut down. Rabbi Schlanger leaves his wife, Chayale and their children, including a two-month old baby. We mourn him as family and stand with his loved ones and his community in their immeasurable loss. May his memory be for a blessing.

We pray that G-d grant healing and comfort to all who survived this attack—men, women, and children—and strength to the families and community now living with its aftermath.

Let us be clear: this was a treacherous act of terror—an attack on community, on goodness, and on light itself. It reflects a climate in which Jew-hatred has been allowed to grow and to turn violent. That reality must be confronted.

This moment demands accountability. Jewish life must be safeguarded through concrete, heightened measures to deter and rein in calls for violence against Jews. We call on governments and law-enforcement authorities to take responsibility, to strengthen security around Jewish institutions and public gatherings, particularly during Chanukah, when Jewish life is expressed openly and visibly.

The Jewish response to terror has never been retreat. Chanukah teaches us to bring light precisely where darkness seeks to intrude. In our times, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, insisted that Chanukah lights be placed openly in public spaces as a statement of dignity, faith, and confidence. In that spirit, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries around the world will continue to light public menorahs—responsibly, in coordination with security authorities, and without surrendering visibility or pride. Jewish life will not be driven from the public square.

We will honor the lives taken by enhancing Jewish practice, pride and visibility. May their light rise from this sorrow, and their memory be a blessing to us all.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky