Who were the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting? what we know

At least 15 civilians are confirmed dead following a shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday.

Many people attended events marking the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Authorities identified two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl among the victims.

Here’s what we know about the people identified so far:

Authorities confirmed that among the dead was a 10-year-old girl, whom her family called Matilda to local media.

Irina Goodhew, who organized a fundraiser for the girl’s mother, who said she was the child’s former teacher, wrote: “I knew her to be a bright, happy, energetic child who brought light to everyone around her.”

Harmony Russian School in Sydney also confirmed she was one of its students.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that a former student of our school has passed away in hospital from a gunshot wound,” the school wrote on Facebook.

“Our condolences and heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends and all those affected by this tragic event… Her memory will remain in our hearts and we respect her life and the time she spent as a member of our school family.”

Meanwhile, her aunt told ABC News that her sister, who was with Matilda when she was shot, is struggling to come to terms with the loss.

“They were like twins – they were never separated,” she told ABC.

Eli Schlanger, 41, known as “Rabbi Bundy,” was one of the main organizers of Sunday’s event. He is the director of the local Chabad mission, an international Hasidic Jewish organization based in Brooklyn.

The death of the British-born father of five was confirmed by his cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis.

“My dear cousin Rabbi Eli Schlanger @bondirabbi was murdered in today’s terrorist attack in Sydney,” Zalman wrote on Instagram. “He leaves behind his wife and young children, as well as my uncles, aunts and siblings… He was truly an incredible man.”

Chabad posted on its website that Schlanger’s youngest child was just two months old.

Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jews told reporters in Bondi on Monday morning: “I think he is the most religious, humane, gracious, gracious man I have ever met.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed the death of French national Dan Elkayam.

“We learned with great sadness that our fellow countryman Dan Elkayam was one of the victims of a terrorist attack on a Jewish family gathered on Sydney’s Bondi Beach,” he wrote on social media. “We mourn with his family and loved ones, the Jewish community and the people of Australia.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBCUniversal and moved to Australia last year.

He is also a keen football player and is an “integral member” of Western Sydney’s Rockdale Ilindin Football Club premiership team.

“He was an extremely talented man who was well-liked by his teammates,” the club wrote. “We extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to Dan’s family, friends and everyone who knew him. He will be missed.”

Alexander Kleytman is a Holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.

“I don’t have a husband. I don’t know where his body is. No one can give me any answers,” his wife Larissa Kleitman told reporters outside a Sydney hospital on Sunday night.

“We were standing and suddenly there was a ‘boom’ sound and everyone fell over. He was behind me at this point and at one point he decided to get closer to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to get closer to me,” she told The Australian.

Chabad wrote on X that Alexander “died protecting her from a gunman’s bullet. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind two children and 11 grandchildren.”

The couple shared some of their life stories with Jewish Care in 2023.

“Both Larissa and Alexander faced the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust as children,” the health organization wrote in its annual report.

“Alex’s memories are particularly poignant; recalling the horrific conditions he faced in Siberia with his mother and brother, fighting for survival.”

Former police officer Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at a Hanukkah event when he was killed, his rugby club confirmed.

Randwick Rugby Football Club general manager Mark Harrison wrote on its website: “For him this was simply a catastrophic event in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“As we all know, Mazzo is a much-loved figure and an absolute legend at our club and with decades of voluntary involvement, he is one of the heart and soul of Randwick rugby.”

The club said he had worked for the NSW Police Force for nearly four decades and was “deeply respected by his colleagues”.

The club said: “The tragic irony that he spent so long working on the dangerous frontline as a police officer only to be struck down in retirement and to be photographed in his passionate role is really hard to fathom.”

Reuven Morrison immigrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union as a teenager, according to an interview he gave to the ABC a year ago.

“What we are here for is that Australia is the safest country in the world, that Jews will not face this kind of anti-Semitism in the future and that we can raise our children in a safe environment,” he told the national broadcaster.

Confirming his death, Chabad said he was a long-term resident of Melbourne but had “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney”.

The group wrote on

Chabad confirmed the death of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, describing the rabbi as a “popular coordinator” of the organization’s activities in Sydney.

He also served as secretary to the Sydney Beth Din Rabbinical Court and worked at the BINA Centre, which describes itself as a center for Jewish learning.