Canadian synagogue vows to continue with Hannukah celebrations after Australia attack

Saying “we will not give in to terror,” a Toronto rabbi says his Chabad synagogue will carry on with public Hanukkah celebrations after today’s attack on an Australian Jewish beach party that left at least 12 people dead.

“Fear does not define us, and it will not silence Jewish life. Chanukah is about light pushing back against darkness. That message feels especially urgent right now,” Rabbi Levi Gansburg of Chabad on Bayview said in a news release.

Twelve people were killed and at least 29 injured as terrorists targeted a Chanukah party on Bondi Beach in Sydney, organized by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. One shooter is believed to be among the fatalities, the second was injured.

Hanukah begins today, and events are planned all week across Canada.

In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “horrified by the antisemitic terror attack” on Bondi. 

“Canada stands with the people of Australia and Jewish people everywhere in sorrow, and determination never to bow to terrorism, violence, hatred and intimidation,” Carney said on the X social media platform. 

“Hanukkah is a time of light amidst the darkness, and a remembrance of the resilience of the Jewish people. May we all support and strengthen that resilience to protect our Jewish communities and to ensure more fundamentally that all people can thrive in every aspect of our society.”

Chabad on Bayview plans events today and Monday along Bayview Avenue in Toronto, and said members of the public are invited to “attend and stand together in celebration of faith, freedom, and community.”

“This country should and must be a safe place for Jews to live openly and proudly,” Gansburg said in the release. “The Jewish community has been, and continues to be, a positive and meaningful contributor to Canadian society. Celebrating our heritage publicly is not an act of defiance, it is an expression of belonging.”