Victoria’s political and faith leaders have moved to reaffirm solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, with the Premier convening a special cabinet moment of prayer and silence and multifaith leaders issuing a united condemnation of the violence.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she invited Rabbi Dovid Gutnick from East Melbourne Synagogue to a special cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon to lead a Hanukkah prayer and moment of silence for those killed in the attack.
“It is a dark moment for our nation,” Allan said. “But today, we came together to light a Hanukkah candle. A reminder that among the darkness, there is light and hope. And no evil act of terror can ever be allowed to diminish that.”
Her remarks echoed a strong statement issued by the Multifaith Advisory Group, which said it extended its “deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased from the terrorist attack targeted at the Jewish community’s Chanukah celebrations”.
“Our prayers are with them and their loved ones, their families, and friends of the Jewish community,” the group said, noting that in Victoria its “prayers and meditations are particularly focused on beloved friends in the Jewish community”.
The advisory group confirmed that plans this week had included participation in a multifaith celebration of Chanukah at Federation Square, known as the ‘Pillars of Light’ celebration, which it said had been “carefully and lovingly prepared”.
“During this festival of lights, it is our sincere hope and prayer that the light of peace, the light of goodness and the light of hope will shine in such darkness,” the statement said.
The group stressed that the attack would not succeed in fracturing social cohesion. “As ever, we convey that terrorists will not succeed in subverting the harmony and peace of our festivals and of our community celebrations,” it said. “This will not happen. Evil will not have the final word. We condemn this terrorist attack, unequivocally.”
The statement concluded with a clear message of unity. “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community,” the group said, adding that prayers and meditations would now support “those who have suffered and are suffering”, as well as “those providing support in New South Wales”.
The Premier’s intervention and the multifaith response come as communities across Australia continue to mourn victims of the Bondi attack and grapple with its wider implications. By bringing prayer into the heart of cabinet and reinforcing a shared moral stance, Victoria’s leaders have sought to underline that the response to terror will be collective, grounded in solidarity, and rooted in the belief that light, hope and unity endure even in moments of profound darkness.
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