- - A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a French citizen. These are the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting

Helen Regan, Sandi Sidhu, CNNDecember 17, 2025 at 1:07 AM

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(From left) Matilda, Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Peter Meagher. - Family Handout/Tzipporah Kastel/Randwick Rubgy Handout

A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a young French national were among at least 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire on families celebrating the first night of Hanukkah at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, an attack that police have declared a terrorist incident.

Those killed in Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years are yet to officially be identified, but their families and friends are paying tribute to those they have lost.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the victims were between 10 and 87 years old.

Here’s what we know about them.

Matilda

Image shows 10-year-old Matilda at Bondi Beach, Sydney on December 14, 2025. - Family Handout

Matilda, 10, was described by her aunt as a “very sweet, happy child, with a beautiful smile.”

She was enjoying the festivities at Bondi Beach with her parents, younger sister and friends, when the two gunmen opened fire. Matilda was wounded in the shooting and rushed to hospital, where doctors fought unsuccessfully to save her.

“Kids are supposed to be happy. They should be playing on the beach, not thinking about bullets flying around,” said her aunt Lina, who did not wish to share the family’s surname.

Matilda’s language teacher described her as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.” The teacher, Irina Goodhew, launched a GoFundMe page on behalf of Matilda’s family.

The family had moved from Ukraine to Australia in the 1990s, and enjoyed walks on the beach, picnics in the park and walks to the zoo, Lina said.

The Harmony Russian School of Sydney, in a statement posted on Facebook, said Matilda was a former student. “We honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family,” the post said.

At a public memorial at Bondi Pavilion on Tuesday, Matilda’s father, Michael, told the crowd that he named his daughter Matilda because she was his first child born in Australia, according to footage posted by Reuters.

“I thought that Matilda is the most Australian name to ever exist,” Michael said.

Tearful and out of breath, Matilda’s mother, Valentyna, said that after leaving Ukraine, she “could not imagine I would lose my daughter here.”

“It’s just a nightmare,” she said.

After embracing his mother, Matilda’s brother, who did not give his name, said that he took comfort in knowing that his sister “knew she was loved.”

“Whenever I would ask Matilda if she knew that I loved her,” he said, “she would immediately say ‘yes.’ She knew she was loved. She wasn’t alone.”

Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Rabbi Eli Schlanger - Chabad

Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, organized the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach and served as assistant rabbi at the Chabad of Bondi, the Jewish organization said in a statement.

“Schlanger was a devoted rabbi and chaplain,” Chabad said, adding that he worked tirelessly “to support Jewish life in the Bondi community.”

Chabad is a global Jewish organization that seeks to promote Jewish identity and connection.

Born in London, Schlanger studied in France before being ordained as a rabbi in Brooklyn, New York City, the organization said.

Schlanger also served as a community chaplain in hospitals and prisons, “working tirelessly to bring warmth, faith, and Jewish pride to everyone he encountered,” a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad and dedicated to Schlanger said.

Schlanger’s cousin Rabbi Zalman Lewis described him as “truly an incredible guy,” in a Facebook post. “He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings.”

The rabbi was a father of five, whose youngest son was only born in October, Chabad confirmed.

Alex Kleytman

Alex Kleytman, 87, was a Holocaust survivor who died while shielding his wife Larisa from one of the gunmen’s bullets, according to Chabad.

He is being remembered as a man “whose life was defined by resilience and family.” A native of Ukraine, Kleytman leaves behind his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren, it added.

CNN affiliate 9News reported that Kleytman had survived the Holocaust with his mother and younger brother in Siberia before he and his wife migrated to Australia from Ukraine. They had been married for nearly 60 years.

“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” his wife Larisa said, according to Chabad.

Dan Elkayam

French national Dan Elkayam, 27, was also among those killed.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Elkayam had gathered on Bondi Beach with other members of the Jewish community to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. “France will spare no effort to root out antisemitism wherever it emerges and to combat terrorism in all its forms,” he said on X.

Elkayam was a football fan and played for Rockdale Ilinden FC’s Premier League 1 team. His club described him as “an extremely talented and popular figure” and said he would be missed.

The club’s Juniors president Peter Doncevski told CNN the club was supporting Elkayam’s girlfriend, who survives him.

Elkayam had recently moved from France to Australia and had been providing technical support to global media company NBC Universal in Sydney since last December, according to his LinkedIn page.

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan - Charidy

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was a “profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” according to a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad.

A husband and father, Levitan was the “cornerstone of his family,” the page said, calling him a “a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others.”

As well as serving as general manager at the Chabad of Bondi, he was also a secretary at the Sydney Beth Din, which Chabad describes as a Jewish court of law. Levitan was a “key figure” in educational initiatives at BINA, a Jewish center of learning, according to the crowdfunding page.

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Levitan was described by Chabad as “a vital, behind-the-scenes pillar of Sydney’s Jewish infrastructure.”

He is survived by his wife and four children between the ages of six and 16, Chabad said.

Reuven Morrison

Reuven Morrison, 62, was a businessman, philanthropist and a longtime resident of Melbourne, Chabad said.

When the attack unfolded, Morrison appeared to try and “distract the terrorists by making himself a bigger target, allowing others to flee,” according to Chabad.

Morrison was originally from the former Soviet Union and had come to Australia in the 1970s “seeking a safe environment far away from the persecution he had experienced,” the organization added.

He was remembered as being “known for his kindness and generosity,” and as someone whose “main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart,” Chabad said.

Morrison leaves behind a wife, daughter, and grandchildren, it added.

Peter Meagher

Peter Meagher was a first grade manager at Randwick Rugby club and former New South Wales police officer. - Randwick Rubgy Handout

Peter Meagher, a former NSW police detective and rugby club member, was also killed in the shootings, Randwick Rugby Club confirmed.

“’Marzo’ as he was universally known, was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby,” the club said.

Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event at the time of the attack.

He had served in the police force for almost 40 years and retired as a detective sergeant.

“The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend,” the club added.

Tibor Weitzen

Tibor Weitzen, 78, is being remembered as a “sweet grandpa” who “loved life.”

Weitzen’s granddaughter told CNN affiliate 9News the family is “shattered” by his death. “Just devastating. Honestly, I’ve got no words,” she reportedly said.

Weitzen was a member of Bondi’s Chabad Synagogue and was at the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach with his wife and grandchildren when gunmen started shooting, 9News reported.

Chabad described Weitzen as “the congregation’s beloved ‘candyman,’ who brought joy and smiles to everyone.” Weitzen, a great-grandfather, “died trying to shield a family friend, who also lost her life,” it added.

Weitzen’s body was discovered by his grandson who was helping to administer first aid to the wounded, his mother Chana Amzalak told CNN.

Amzalak said the family, including her heavily pregnant daughter-in-law and toddler, had run for their lives when the shooting began. The young child was “was so traumatized,” Amzalak said, “she was just crying for hours.”

Amzalak said her son has been in “remote control and helping mode” since the attack and that the family were “desperate to bury (Tibor) and move to the next chapter of our grief.”

Marika Pogány

Marika Pogány, an 82-year-old Slovak citizen, was fatally shot while attending Sunday’s Hanukkah event, 9News reported.

Pogány was a close family friend of Slovakia’s former President Zuzana Čaputová who, in a post on the Slovak Jewish Association’s Facebook page on Monday, said only Pogány’s mother and uncle came back from Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

“Sydney was a safe haven for her, away from fascism and communism,” Čaputová said of her late friend.

Čaputová described Pogány as an “extraordinary woman who lived her life to the fullest.”

Pogány was a dedicated volunteer and won several awards for her years of service in the Jewish community. In 2022, she received an award for delivering 12,000 kosher meals on wheels over the course of more than two decades.

Boris and Sofia Gurman

Boris and Sofia Gurman were fatally shot in the attack and were the first victims of the rampage, according to 9News. - Gurman Family

Boris, and Sofia Gurman, 69 and 61 respectively, were a Russian-Jewish couple living in Bondi, according to CNN affiliate 9News. They have been described as heroes for attempting to stop one of the gunmen in the early stages of the attack.

Dashcam footage shows Boris Gurman trying to disarm the attacker, wrestling him to the ground and grabbing his gun. Boris and Sofia Gurman were fatally shot in the confrontation, becoming the first victims of the rampage, 9News reported.

In a statement, the couple’s family said their actions encapsulated who they were, “people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others.”

“While nothing can lessen the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness,” the family said, 9News reported.

The couple were due to celebrate Sofia Gurman’s birthday and their 35th wedding anniversary in January, the family said.

“Boris was a retired mechanic, known for his generosity, quiet strength and willingness to lend a hand to anyone in need. Sofia worked at Australia Post and was deeply loved by her colleagues and community,” the family said.

Edith Brutman

Edith Brutman was committed to fighting discrimination, her family and friends told Australian media.

“She was a very clever lady, and she was very, very passionate about dealing with prejudice and discrimination,” said Ernie Friedlander, who worked with her at the New South Wales chapter of B’nai B’rith, a Jewish service organization, in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“She was always there, and she had very strong opinions.”

In an email exchange with CNN, Friedlander added that “Edith was (a) decent hard-working friend and associate with a big heart and with lots of passion.”

Friedlander, who serves as president of B’nai B’rith NSW’s Alfred Dreyfuss Anti-Defamation Unit, said that Brutman had served as the unit’s vice-president.

“She will be missed by many,” Friedlander wrote.

Brutman’s family said in a statement published by Australian national broadcaster ABC that she “met prejudice with principle, and division with service.”

“Our family mourns her deeply, but we ask that her life, not the senseless violence that took it, be what endures,” the statement continues. “We hope her memory calls us as a nation back to decency, courage, and peace.”

Boris Tetleroyd

Boris Tetleroyd was described by his niece as a “beloved husband and father.”

He was attending the Hanukkah event with his son when the gunmen opened fire. Tetleroyd was killed in the attack and his son, who was wounded, is recovering in hospital.

“Our family is grieving the sudden and violent loss of a beloved husband and father in the Bondi attack,” his niece, Leia Roitour, said on a verified crowdfunding page set up to raise money for Tetleroyd’s wife and family.

“He was the primary provider for his wife, who is now facing life as a widow,” Roitour said.

This story has been with additional information.

CNN’s Hilary Whiteman, Angus Watson, Catherine Nicholls, Max Saltman and Hira Humayun contributed reporting.

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