(December 14, 2025) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center stands in solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following the horrific massacre that took place in Sydney earlier today. Our hearts are shattered by the slaughter of 15 people and the wounding of dozens more at a Chanukah celebration at the city’s iconic Bondi Beach. Some 2,000 Jewish community members had gathered to light the first candle of Chanukah when two gunmen opened fire at the crowd, which included children and the elderly.

The mass shooting is the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks in Australia that have targeted the Jewish community since Oct. 7, 2023. Australian Jewish leaders had repeatedly warned the government of the danger the community was facing due to growing antisemitic incitement and harassment in the country.

In the wake of today’s attack, FSWC calls on government and law enforcement in Canada to take stronger, concrete measures to combat antisemitism and protect the Jewish community, already shaken by what it has experienced in recent years.

“We mourn the victims of this monstrous terrorist attack and pray for the swift and full recovery of all those wounded,” said FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt. “What happened today in Sydney painfully underlines the gravity of the situation confronting Jews everywhere, including here in Canada. Our country has witnessed the same alarming trends that have unfolded in Australia; stark warning signs that we dare not ignore. We again call on authorities to move forward with serious, urgent actions to protect the Jewish community and all Canadians from this growing threat of violent extremism."

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