Australia’s faith leaders and representatives from Australia’s multicultural media moved quickly to present a united front on Tuesday after the terrorist attack in Bondi that targeted a Chanukah gathering, killing 16 people and shaking Jewish communities across the country.
On 15 December, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper convened an emergency meeting of the Faith Affairs Council, bringing together religious leaders from some of the state’s largest denominations. The meeting followed Sunday’s attack and reaffirmed a joint Faith Affairs Council and Multicultural Advisory Board communique issued the same night.
Council members and faith leaders expressed their deepest sympathies for those killed and reiterated solidarity with the Jewish community, while stressing that the violence struck at the foundations of Australia’s social fabric. Addressing the meeting, Kamper conveyed the government’s heartbreak and urged leaders to encourage their communities to reach out to Jewish Australians, emphasising that people of all faiths must work together to restore confidence in New South Wales’ multiculturalism.
Senior Jewish clergy addressed the gathering, including Rabbi Benjamin Elton of Sydney’s Great Synagogue and Rabbi Nochum Shapiro, president of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia and leader of Chabad House of the North Shore. Rabbi Shapiro told fellow faith leaders that practical expressions of support mattered, suggesting communities light a Chanukah candle or engage in acts of charity to “fight the darkness with light”.
Right Rev Dr Michael Stead, chair of the Faith Affairs Council, said the meeting showed faith communities “at their best”. “The meeting was a demonstration of our faith communities at their best—coming together in our shared grief to express our compassion and support for Jewish brothers and sisters, and to state unequivocally with one voice our utter condemnation of this evil terrorist attack,” he said. “By continuing to work together in love and respect, we will build peace and harmony in our nation.”
Muslim leaders echoed those sentiments. Sheikh Shadi Alsuleiman, president of the Australian National Imams Council, said the Muslim community’s heart went out to Jewish Australians, describing the attack as one that targeted a specific community but cut to the heart of the nation as a whole. Christian leaders also spoke of the wider impact, with Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel conveying that Jewish leaders had shared how increasingly isolated their community had felt in recent months. Andrew Harper of the Australian Christian Churches reflected on the fear felt beyond Sydney, recounting how his young daughter asked on Sunday night whether she was safe.
Independent Multicultural Media Australia said it stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with our Jewish media members, and with Jewish communities across Australia”, extending condolences to grieving families and condemning antisemitism in the strongest terms
Political leaders reinforced that message of unity. The Leader of The Nationals said “Australian hearts are broken by the terror in Bondi”, calling the attack “a stain on our nation” and warning that governments at all levels must work to restore social harmony. After meeting Jewish community leaders in Melbourne, he said it was devastating to hear that some Australian Jews had already been contemplating leaving the country because they no longer felt safe. “As much as this was an evil attack on the Jewish community, it is an attack on all Australians,” he said, adding that the country must “redouble our efforts to stamp out hateful ideology that leads to such horrendous violence”.
Community organisations across health, media and multicultural sectors have also issued statements of support. Independent Multicultural Media Australia said it stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with our Jewish media members, and with Jewish communities across Australia”, extending condolences to grieving families and condemning antisemitism in the strongest terms. “Australia’s multicultural society is built on mutual respect, safety, and shared civic values,” the organisation said, warning there was “no place for such hatred in our media, our public life, our institutions, or our nation”.
As the national conversation continues, attention has also turned to the impact of intense scrutiny following the attack. On Tuesday, the family of one of the Bondi attackers contacted police to complain about repeated visits from journalists, saying media presence was disrupting their home as public outrage continues.
Faith leaders concluded their meeting with a shared commitment to stand with Jewish Australians in the weeks ahead and to work collaboratively on actions to confront antisemitism and hatred. The message from religious and political leaders alike was consistent: an attack aimed at one community threatens the safety and cohesion of all, and unity remains the strongest response in the days after Bondi.
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