London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger and 10-year-old girl among 15 killed in Bondi Beach terror attack
The father-of-five, 41, was described by his cousin as "vivacious, optimistic and full of energy and life".
Monday 15 December 2025 06:27, UK
A London-born rabbi and a 10-year-old girl are among 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Two gunmen - a father and son - targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Archer Park next to the beach on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights on Sunday evening.
One of the attackers, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed along with 15 innocent people, aged between 10 and 87 years old.
Follow live coverage of the shooting
The other gunman, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, is in a coma in hospital, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said.
This is what we know about the victims who have been named by the media, friends and family so far.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
The 41-year-old British-born rabbi, was assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which organised the Hanukkah event.
Mr Schlanger had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years. He was a father of five who, along with his wife Chayala, celebrated the birth of their youngest child, a boy, two months ago, and grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, according to Jewish News.
His cousin, Rabbi Dovid Lewis, of the South Manchester Synagogue, told Paste BN their great-uncle, the late Reverend Leslie Olsberg, served as a rabbi at the Heaton Park Synagogue in the city, where two people were killed in a terror attack on 2 October.
He said his cousin had "dedicated his life to adding light and to spreading Torah and Judaism" and in the wake of the Manchester attack sent a post on social media saying: "We will respond with light."
"There's a feeling of numbness, but there's also a feeling he lived," he said.
"I'm not going to wallow in pity, I'm going to do something in his memory."
He said his cousin "lit a light", adding: "I'm now obliged to pick up that light and become a torchbearer."
He added: "We have got to say darkness can only be combatted with light. It's what he did, it's what I will do, it's what we ask everyone else to do as well."
Another one of his cousins, Brighton-based Rabbi Zalman Lewis, described Mr Schlanger to Paste BN as an "incredibly vivacious, energetic, positive guy" who had "dedicated his life to helping people".
He said his initial reaction was one of "deep pain and confusion" but he quickly knew he had to respond with a "positive message of hope and light and positivity".
"The world is a good place," he said.
"There is some evil. There is some darkness. But, overwhelmingly, there is goodness in the world. And, overwhelmingly, there are good people in the world. And I came home, and I said to myself, I need to create a positive energy for myself, for my family, for my community."
Matilda
The 10-year-old girl who died in hospital following the attack has been named as Matilda by her aunt, who requested that her niece's last name not be disclosed.
She was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney.
In a post on GoFundMe to raise money to support her family, she was described as a "bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to those around her".
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Dan Elkayam
French President Emmanuel Macron announced French citizen Dan Elkayam was among those killed.
Local media reported that he was in his late 20s and had gone to celebrate at the festival.
He was reportedly employed at NBC Universal in Sydney.
Alexander Kleytman
Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside St Vincent's Hospital that her husband, 87-year-old Alexander Kleytman, was among the dead, according to The Australian newspaper.
The couple were both Holocaust survivors and had moved to Australia from Ukraine.
Peter Meagher
Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event, according to his rugby team, Randwick Rugby Club.
He was a retired policeman, having served almost four decades in the New South Wales police force, the rugby club's statement said.
"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 said.
Reuven Morrison
Businessman Reuven Morrison was identified as another victim by Chabad.
He was described as "a member of the Chabad community who divided his time between Melbourne and Sydney".
He had moved to Australia from the former Soviet Union, Chabad said.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Chabad identified Mr Levitan as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organisation, Beth Din.
Tibor Weitzen
The 78-year-old was identified as one of the victims by Chabad.
He was described as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who "brought joy and smiles to everyone".
Mr Weitzen was fatally wounded while shielding his wife from the gunfire, who survived, according to the Daily Mail.
Marika Pogany
The president of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, confirmed the death of a Slovak woman, who was identified by Australian media as 82-year-old Marika Pogany.