Calgary community stands with Sydney, Australia’s Jewish community following mass shooting

Calgary's Jewish community reacted Sunday to a mass shooting that took place overnight on a beach in Sydney, Australia. (Tyler Barrow, CTV Calgary)

Calgary’s Jewish community expressed shock and sorrow following a mass shooting incident in Australia Sunday.

The attack killed 16 people, including a child, officials said Monday, after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it an act of antisemitic terrorism.

Hundreds of people had gathered Sunday at the beach. At least 38 others were injured in the attack.

New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park said the death toll had risen from 12 to 16 overnight, including a 12-year-old child. Three other children are being treated in hospital, he said.

“This is absolutely horrendous for the community broadly, but particularly the Jewish community ... What we saw last night was the worst of humanity, but at the same time, the very best of humanity,” Park said.

The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn’t suggest those and Sunday’s shooting were connected.

In Calgary, Rabbi Cantor Russell, G, Jayne of Beth Tzedec Congregation was presiding at a Hanukkah party when he gave his reaction to the Australian attack.

“What happened in Bondi Beach is an absolute tragedy, because a few people decided to choose darkness and hatred and violence over light and love,” Jayne said.

He said Calgary’s Jewish community stands with Sydney’s Jewish community in a moment of deep trauma.

“When an event like this happens, of course, we feel it very intensely,” he said. “Because it doesn’t matter whether a Jewish person is living next door or thousands of kilometres away.

“We are all one people, and so the pain of one Jewish community is the pain of all Jewish communities,” he added. “When we heard about the violent attack at Bondi Beach, of course, we were filled with great pain and great sorrow, and even though we can’t stand physically next to them, we stand always spiritually next to them.

“And we want the Jewish community of Sydney, Australia, to know that we do stand in solidarity with both their pain and the light that we know they’re going to try to bring to the world after this event.”

Jayne said that Calgary’s Jewish community feels safe, but as a precaution, always adds additional security around holidays.

“We are concerned about the safety of the families that come into this space, and we want to make sure that families feel secure and safe and warm in this space,” Jayne said.

“And so, yes, we’ve taken the appropriate measures to increase security, but that’s something that we would do around all Jewish holidays, just because we value the safety of our families and our community.”

In Australia, one gunman was fatally shot by police while the second was arrested and in critical condition.

Police said one of the gunmen was known to security services.

At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located.

With files from The Associated Press and CTV’s Tyler Barrow