Australia has paused in silence to remember the 15 innocent victims killed in the Bondi massacre.
A crowd gathered on Sydney Harbour for a minute of silence at 7.01pm ADST before a series of speeches inside the Opera House from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition leader Sussan Ley, NSW Premier Chris Minns and Jewish leaders.
Security at the event was paramount, with pictures showing a NSW Police sniper perched at the peak of the roof on one of the iconic building’s ‘shells’.
Led by the Bondi Chabad, the theme for the sombre day of national mourning is Light Will Win: A Gathering of Unity and Remembrance.
Fifteen innocent people were killed and 41 more were injured in the antisemitic terror attack carried out on December 14 at Bondi Beach.
Australians are being asked to come together through a mitzvah, an act of kindness or compassion.
This can include giving to others, helping the sick, offering hospitality or providing kindness to animals.
A commemorative installation, 15 Pillars of Light, was erected throughout Australian cities.
Rabbi Yehoram Ulman addresses the media in front of the Sydney Opera House on Thursday
A NSW Police sniper is perched on the peak of the Opera House roof as a crowd gathered below
Mr Albanese encouraged all Australians to participate in their own way by leaving a candle on their window ledge or doorstep.
‘This is a place where nothing should break except for the waves. But a lot broke that night,’ Mr Albanese said of Bondi.
‘For darkness to descend on that (Hanukkah celebration) is something that is a stain on our nation.’
Flags are being flown at half-mast throughout the country and major institutions will be illuminated when the sun sets.
Dignitaries including the Victorian governor attended a multi-faith vigil at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, her immediate predecessor and four past and present premiers.
They lit candles and paid tribute to the Bondi victims alongside Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Sikh leaders.
‘By our coming together in unity to remember the fallen, by our prayers and our lighting of candles, we come to remind ourselves of this truth: that light will win,’ Anglican Dean of Melbourne Andreas Loewe told the assembled crowd.
The faith leaders share common values and are united in their determination to overcome anti-Semitism, hate speech, and terror, Rabbi Ralph Genende said.
An Australian flag at half mast on Bondi Beach on Thursday
‘We belong to different faith traditions and share a common grief,’ he said.
‘Together we seek to build a society where all people can work together in cherishing, not disfiguring, our common humanity.’
The significance of Oseh Shalom, a short Hebrew prayer for peace, being sung in an Anglican cathedral was not lost on attendees.
‘I find that just an extraordinarily moving thing,’ Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion told reporters outside.
‘It shows what this country can be – and indeed is.’
Jewish state MP David Southwick, meanwhile, warned the inter-faith gathering could not be seen as ‘we’ve done our job’ and the hard work must continue.
