Hundreds of Perth residents came together in a solemn display of unity and grief on Thursday night, gathering at The Perth Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Menora. The vigil was held to honour the memory of the fifteen people killed in the horrific Bondi Beach massacre.
A Community United in Grief and Shock
The atmosphere was one of quiet reflection as mourners and well-wishers stood together, offering support to survivors and the grieving families affected by the attack. The president of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia, Dr Michael Levitt, addressed the crowd, framing the tragedy as one with global and historical resonance.
"This is not just a local tragedy — it is a global one," Dr Levitt stated. "Fifteen people were slaughtered, and it carries the echoes of Jewish history. Two hundred years from now, people in the Jewish world will still be talking about what happened at Bondi Beach."
Calls for Government Action Against Antisemitism
Dr Levitt expressed the community's profound distress, anger, and disbelief, pointing to long-ignored warnings about the dangerous link between hate speech and violence. "We've been warning about this connection. And those warnings — from the most senior voices in Australian Jewish life — were ignored," he said.
He placed responsibility firmly on governments, arguing they had received clear warnings. While acknowledging it was "too late" for the victims, Dr Levitt insisted stronger laws and decisive action were crucial to arrest a "downward cycle." He criticised the treatment of antisemitism as an abstract force, stating, "Anti-semitism is carried out by anti-semites. We know who they are... Government knows who they are and needs to address that."
Solidarity from Leaders and a Message of Hope
The vigil was attended by prominent figures including WA Governor Chris Dawson, Premier Roger Cook, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, and Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas. Premier Cook delivered heartfelt words of solidarity, acknowledging the difficulty of finding words for such a loss.
"This is a time for Western Australian unity," Mr Cook said. He also referenced Hanukkah, celebrated at the time of the attack, urging the community to find strength in its message of light over darkness. The Premier made a firm vow: "I vow to you all to continue to lead a government that is committed to the elimination of anti-semitism in all its forms."
Appearing via Zoom, the president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW, Rabbi Shua Solomon, said the Sunday of the attack felt like "October 7" all over again, referencing the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel. "There is no one in the community who has not been affected," he said, but added, "we will rebuild and we will continue to stand as proud Jews in this great country."
Despite the overwhelming sorrow, some attendees found a measure of hope. Jewish community member Deborah Cohen-Jones shared, "I think the primary emotion that the Jews of Australia have felt is let down and truly angry... But tonight, I feel enormous hope." Another attendee, Debbie Schaefer, expressed a desire for the nation to create a "new narrative" moving forward.
