Like you I was shocked and horrified at the news of the brutal, evil murders carried out on Bondi Beach, Sydney, on Sunday night. I was deeply, deeply grieved for my Jewish friends, and my country. I am so angry that an environment has been all but cultivated by governments (state and federal) that has led to individuals even daring to think such callous disrespect and disregard for human life is justified. Hamas has already praised this demonic attack. Yet, our government (at time of writing) has not denounced Hamas – the government of a people the Prime Minister has declared we now recognise as a state. This is diabolical.
Too late, and with too little, our national leader has spoken against the evil of antisemitism and, for once, has not mentioned Islamophobia in the same sentence. There is so much I could say here but our dear brother in Christ, Ps Lawrence Hirsch, has said it best in a newsletter released today (Monday). I include it here in full and with permission, in this week’s BLOG. Read it and pray with me for our Jewish friends.
Dear friends in Messiah,
We write to you with heavy hearts following the horrific terrorist attack that took place on the evening of 14 December 2025 at Bondi Beach in Sydney. During a public Hanukkah celebration hosted by Chabad of Bondi, a gathering meant to celebrate light and God’s faithfulness was violently attacked. At least sixteen lives were lost, many others were wounded, and families and an entire community have been left grieving.
This was not a random act of violence. It was a deliberate antisemitic terrorist attack, now officially recognised as such by Australian authorities. The Jewish community was specifically targeted on the first night of Hanukkah—a time when Jewish families gather to proclaim that light overcomes darkness.
Our hearts ache for the families of those murdered, for the injured, and for the Jewish community in Sydney and across Australia. We also ask you to pray especially for our Celebrate Messiah family in Sydney—our staff, leaders, and congregation—and for all those who are walking closely with grieving families in these painful days.
As followers of Yeshua, we grieve deeply with our Jewish brothers and sisters. Scripture reminds us that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer with it. What happens to one Jewish community truly happens to us all.
This tragedy did not arise in isolation. Antisemitism in Australia has been escalating at an alarming rate, and Jewish leaders had repeatedly warned of the danger. The attack at Bondi Beach is a sobering reminder of how vulnerable the Jewish community remains, even in places once considered safe. Ironically, just before the attack on Sunday night the 14th of December, I opened our Hanukkah celebration at our Melbourne congregation at about 6:15pm by reflecting on how the times we are living in are not unlike those faced by the Jewish people under Antiochus Epiphanes—when Jewish faith was threatened with eradication and those who refused to abandon the God of Israel were put to death. Little did we know that 30 minutes later a massacre would be perpetrated by Jew-hating terrorists in our own day, and even in our own beloved shores of Australia.
Yet, Hanukkah teaches us that even in this darkness—we hold fast to hope. Hanukkah reminds us that God’s light shines in the darkest moments, and the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:5). We turn to the words of our Messiah who said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, ESV)
We ask you, our Christian friends, to stand with us in prayer and action:
· Pray for comfort and healing for the families of those murdered and injured
· Pray for the Jewish community in Sydney, Melbourne and throughout Australia
· Pray for our Celebrate Messiah staff around the country, congregations in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, and leaders serving on the front lines
· Pray for government and community leaders to confront antisemitism with courage and wisdom
I want to appeal to our Christian brothers and sisters to reach out to the Jewish people you know—to express love, care, and genuine concern, and to pray for them. The Jewish community in Australia has been living with deep fear, uncertainty, and bewilderment for more than two years now, and we have seen firsthand how even simple acts of kindness and love can bring great comfort in this difficult season.
I have been personally and deeply moved by the many Christian leaders and friends who reached out so quickly to express their love, solidarity, and concern for the Jewish community. Your messages, prayers, and presence have meant more to us than words can say, and we are truly grateful for this outpouring of compassion and friendship.
Dear friends, thank you for standing with the Jewish people, for loving Israel, and for partnering with Celebrate Messiah as we continue to take the message of the Messiah to the original messengers—even in times of sorrow and uncertainty. Your prayers, encouragement, and faithfulness matter more than ever.
May the God of all comfort draw near to each one of us, and may His light continue to shine through His people.
With gratitude and hope in Messiah,
Lawrence & Louise Hirsch
Celebrate Messiah
Lawrence and Louise observe here that “This tragedy did not arise in isolation. Antisemitism in Australia has been escalating at an alarming rate, and Jewish leaders had repeatedly warned of the danger.” And this is, in my view, THE critical factor which cannot be ignored, or shrugged off. Our federal government, in particular, have taken a weak, insipid stance on antisemitism since the October 2023 massacre in Israel and have repeatedly denounced Israel, and this has allowed boundaries for what is acceptable behaviour to dissolve in the face of the rampart forces of evil. Our state government is no better. They have insisted that the anti-Israel protests that have been conducted weekly since October 2023 in Melbourne are “lawful” and expressions of “freedom of speech” and that “people have the right to peacefully protest” (Premier Jacinta Allan). These “protests” - the very nature of them - are an abuse of the liberties we all hold dear. They are not – and never were – “pro-Palestinian protest marches”, (every Sunday for two years?) but platforms to recruit and promote Jew-hatred across our city.
This federal government’s dislike for Israel has been palpable, and this has encouraged an environment that has cultivated hatred of Jewish citizens. It’s hand-wringing platitudes mean nothing, because their obvious reluctance to implement serious protections for Jewish citizens despite repeated warnings of the impending danger, speak so much louder than all their PR baloney. And now it has innocent blood on its hands, and that blood has defiled our land. They simply must answer for such unprecedented dereliction of duty that has imperilled fellow citizens who love Australia.
I stand with Israel. I stand with all my Jewish brothers and sisters. And I pray for them now!
Ps Milton