The first funerals for some of the 15 people killed in Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost three decades took place on Wednesday as police brought murder and terror charges against one of the alleged gunmen.
There were emotional scenes outside the Chabad of Bondi in Sydney, where large crowds paid their respects ahead of the service for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in Sunday’s massacre that targeted Jewish families celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.
Family members wept as Schlanger’s coffin, draped in black velour bearing a gold Star of David, was wheeled into the synagogue.
Schlanger, 41, organized the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach and served as assistant rabbi at the Chabad of Bondi. He was a father of five, whose youngest son is only two months old.
Known as the “Bondi Rabbi,” Schlanger has been described as a devoted and beloved chaplain who worked tirelessly “to support Jewish life in the Bondi community” through Chabad, a global Jewish organization that seeks to promote Jewish identity and connection, the organization said.
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