At the start of the Chanukah celebrations on Sunday on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, a 10-year-old little girl called Matilda, her face freshly painted with sea shells and a dolphin, was chosen by a gunman as his next target. A little girl. Out with her family and friends celebrating a holiday with her family and friends. She was one of 15 people killed and 26 people seriously injured. Alexander Kletyman was also killed. He and his family knew what that kind of ‘being chosen’ means. Alexander was a survivor of The Holocaust.
It wasn’t just a holiday. It was a Jewish holiday where Jews come together to celebrate the festival of lights – Chanukah. The killings were antisemitic murders, planned and organised.
In the hours and days that have followed these terrible shootings, conspiracy theories have abounded. As have the excuses, the justifications, even the celebrations – in short, an outpouring of online antisemitism. And, also troubling, silence from too many friends and comrades. In the days and weeks to come, we will do what we can – as is the purpose of our organisation – to challenge racism, antisemitism and hate-filled conspiracy theories, and to break that silence.
We mourn the victims, and send love to our Jewish friends following our work at Community Solidarity Stroud District, and thank the friends who have reached out to some of us privately. We welcome the following statements released by local organisations, and those from Na’amod UK and Rabbis for Ceasefire, and encourage our supporters to read and share them:
Community Solidarity Stroud District 