In the hours after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing at least 15 people, Rabbi Noah Farkas, president of the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, fielded a barrage of calls from Jewish parents across Los Angeles.
How, they wondered on the first night of Hanukkah, should they protect themselves? Was it safe to bring their children to a synagogue? Should they even gather to celebrate?
Farkas urged Jews across Los Angeles to not be deterred.
“The whole point of terrorism is to terrify Jews from coming together,” he said, noting it was no coincidence that Hanukkah takes place during the darkest nights of the year.
“When the evening lights are at their darkest, that’s when we light candles down here on Earth,” he said. “And we add light to light over the course of the week.”
As hundreds of thousands of people prepare to gather across Los Angeles this week to celebrate Hanukkah, synagogues are upping security and Los Angeles police are increasing patrols.
The federation said it was working with law enforcement to ensure safety at events.
“All Federations and their community security initiatives are on full alert for the Chanukah celebrations in their communities, working with all our law enforcement partners,” the organization said in a statement. “Our community will never retreat in the face of hatred, and will never refrain from carrying on our Jewish traditions. Rather, we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure our communities are safe and that our lights burn all the brighter.”
The Los Angeles Police Department also said Sunday morning that it was “deeply saddened” by the shooting in Sydney and would provide extra patrols at Jewish places of worship, schools and Hanukkah celebrations across L.A.
“While there is no known threat to Los Angeles at this time, the LAPD remains vigilant and committed to protecting our diverse communities,” the department said in a message on X.
“The LAPD will continue to work closely with our local, national, and international partners to monitor developments and ensure the safety of our city,” the statement said. “Together, we can honor the spirit of Hanukkah by standing united against hate and violence.”
Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, executive director of Chabad.org, part of the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, said the attack at Bondi Beach was calculated to “snuff out” the Hanukkah message at its core because that city’s large celebration kicks off Hanukkah for the world, “spreading the holiday’s beauty in domino-like succession to tens of thousands of locales across the globe as dusk begins locally.
“Little did they realize, however, that just like in the very Chanukah story itself, their efforts would catalyze far greater observance of Chanukah and inspire much, much more Chanukah light — across the entire globe! — than ever before.”
The organization emailed its millions of followers on Sunday, urging them to redouble their planned menorah lightings.
“When darkness attacks, Chanukah teaches us to fight back with light, pride and, yes, joy!” the email proclaimed. “Let’s rededicate ourselves to add more light in honor of those murdered in Sydney. Let’s come out proudly to public menorah lightings, and make sure to kindle our own menorahs at home.”
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) said in a statement, “Antisemitism is rising. Hate is rising. According to the FBI, even though Jews make up only around 2 percent of the U.S. population, they were the target of nearly 70 percent of all reported religion‑based hate crimes in 2024….
“I refuse to hide who I am. Today, I will remember those we’ve lost and celebrate Hanukkah with my community…. We will not be intimidated.”
Rabbi Zushe Cunin, who heads the Chabad of Pacific Palisades, said the Hanukkah celebration will be doubly meaningful.
“How devastating it would be that the community is coming together after the fires and they are scared away because of some dastardly act,” Cunin said. “We can’t shut down joy and life and love.”
Though the Chabad synagogue survived the January fire, the ceremony was being held, as it traditionally is, in Palisades Village.
Cunin said developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso will double down on the security he usually provides for the event in the shopping center he built.
“We were already expecting a larger crowd because of the significance of the fire,” Cunin said. “Now I think people are going to be coming together to support each other because of this unacceptable situation.”
Cunin said he met with Councilmember Traci Parks, who committed “whatever assets are needed, to make sure the community feels safe.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the Sydney attack as “yet another horrific antisemitic act of terror on the Jewish community” and “a devastating reminder that antisemitism continues to rise around the world.”
“Los Angeles holds the Jewish community in Australia and here at home in our hearts,” Bass said in a statement on X, noting that the city had reached out to the Australian consul general in Los Angeles to offer condolences and support.
The LAPD encouraged all Angelenos, especially those attending synagogues and Hanukkah events, to stay alert and report concerns. “Maintain heightened situational awareness when attending religious services or community gatherings,” LAPD said. “If you see suspicious behavior or activity, call 9-1-1 immediately.”
The department also advised Jewish community and faith leaders to revisit their security procedures and contact LAPD if they needed additional patrols or support.
Farkas, the Jewish Federation president, said a more far-reaching reaction is needed. He stressed that many in the Jewish community had called on L.A. officials to do more.
“We’ve called for many times for legislation to be passed and enforced to create exclusion zones around houses of worship, so that Jews can safely go to synagogue, just like we want Christians to safely go to school and Muslims to safely go to mosque.”
Many Jews across L.A. are not just afraid, Farkas said: They’re also angry.
“They’re angry at politicians, they’re angry at law enforcement and they’re angry at the general society, because antisemitism isn’t a Jewish problem, it’s a societal problem,” he said. “It shouldn’t be on us to solve this problem.”
This story originally appeared on LA Times
