National day of mourning for 15 victims of Bondi beach attack

Australia held a national day of mourning for the 15 victims of the 14 December Bondi beach terror attack, with fresh wreaths laid at Bondi, children cooking meals for those in need and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it was an opportunity to “wrap our arms around” the Jewish community.

Under the New South Wales government’s One Mitzvah for Bondi initiative, all Australians were urged to do a good deed — or mitzvah — on the day. Albanese said the day was about remembering the 15 victims, which he called a “stain on our nation”, and added: “A grief with no ending, only a beginning.” In Paddington, children taking part in Kids Giving Back cooked Thai red curry and salad; the 350 meals will be distributed to vulnerable communities in Macquarie Park.

Co-founder Carole Schlessinger said the charity was based on the Hebrew concept of tikkun olam and that “It’s giving people hope and agency when everything feels so dark”, describing the kitchen as a place to focus on positivity and the “basic kindness people need to overcome the evil that’s in the world”.

The state government said about 2,500 acts of kindness had been registered with the One Mitzvah for Bondi website, and NSW minister Steve Kamper said officials had been “staggered by the support and uptake”. At Bondi Pavilion, wreaths were laid near piles of memorial stones and a chaplain said people had been coming and going all day to pay respects.

Key Topics

World, Bondi Beach Attack, Anthony Albanese, Kids Giving Back, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney Opera House