In the hours after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 15 people, Rabbi Noah Farkas, president of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, received a flood of calls from Jewish parents across Los Angeles.
How, they asked themselves on the first night of Hanukkah, should they protect themselves? Was it safe to take your children to a synagogue? Should they even get together to celebrate?
Farkas urged Los Angeles Jews not to be deterred.
“The goal of terrorism is to terrorize Jews so that they do not gather,” he said, noting that it was no coincidence that Hanukkah took place during the darkest nights of the year.
“When the evening lights are at their darkest, that's when we light candles here on Earth,” he said. “And we added light after light throughout the week.”
As hundreds of thousands of people prepare to gather in Los Angeles this week to celebrate Hanukkah, synagogues are increasing security and the Los Angeles police are increasing patrols.
The federation said it was working with authorities to ensure safety at the events.
“All federations and their community safety initiatives are on high alert for Hanukkah celebrations in their communities, working with all of our law enforcement partners,” the organization said in a statement. “Our community will never back down from hate and will never refrain from continuing our Jewish traditions. Rather, we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure our communities are safe and our lights shine even brighter.”
The Los Angeles Police Department also said Sunday morning that it was “deeply saddened” by the Sydney shooting and would provide additional patrols at Jewish houses of worship, schools and Hanukkah celebrations throughout Los Angeles.
“While there is no known threat to Los Angeles at this time, the Los Angeles Police Department 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 together against hate and violence.”
Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, executive director of Chabad.org, part of the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, said the attack on Bondi Beach was calculated to “shut down” the message of Hanukkah at its core because that city's grand celebration ushers in Hanukkah for the world, “spreading the beauty of the holiday in a domino-like succession to tens of thousands of places around the world as nightfall begins locally.
“However, they did not realize that, much like the Hanukkah story itself, their efforts would catalyze a much greater Hanukkah observance and inspire much, much more Hanukkah light (around the world!) than ever before.”
The organization sent an email to its millions of followers on Sunday, urging them to double down on the planned menorah lighting.
“When darkness attacks, Hanukkah teaches us to fight with light, pride and, yes, joy!” the email proclaimed. “Let us rededicate ourselves to adding more light in honor of those murdered in sydney. Let us proudly attend the public lighting of the menorah and be sure to light our own menorahs at home.”
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) said in a statement: “Anti-Semitism is rising. Hate is rising. According to the FBI, although Jews make up only about 2 percent of the American population, they were the target of nearly 70 percent of all religion-based hate crimes reported in 2024…
“I refuse to hide who I am. Today I will remember those we have 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 significant.
“How devastating it would be for the community to come together after the fires and be scared by some cowardly act,” Cunin said. “We cannot close off joy, life and love.”
Although the Chabad synagogue survived the January fire, the ceremony was held, as traditionally, in Palisades Village.
Cunin said developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso will double the security he normally provides for the event at the shopping center he built.
“We were already expecting a larger crowd because of the significance of the fire,” Cunin said. “Now I believe that people will come together to support each other because of this unacceptable situation.”
Cunin said he met with Councilwoman Traci Parks, who committed “every asset necessary to ensure the community feels safe.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the Sydney attack as “another horrific anti-Semitic act of terror against the Jewish community” and “a devastating reminder that anti-Semitism 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 to X, noting that the city had contacted the Australian consul general in Los Angeles to offer its condolences and support.
The LAPD encouraged all Angelenos, especially those who attend synagogues and Hanukkah events, to remain vigilant and report concerns. “Maintain heightened situational awareness when attending religious services or community gatherings,” the LAPD said. “If you see suspicious behavior or activity, call 9-1-1 immediately.”
The department also advised the Jewish community and religious leaders to review their security procedures and contact the Los Angeles police if they needed additional patrols or support.
Farkas, the president of the Jewish Federation, said a more far-reaching reaction is needed. He noted that many members of the Jewish community had asked Los Angeles officials to do more.
“We have called many times for legislation to be passed and implemented to create exclusion zones around places of worship, so that Jews can go safely to the synagogue, just as we want Christians to go safely to school and Muslims to the mosque.”
Many Jews in Los Angeles are not only afraid, Farkas said: they are also angry.
“They're angry at politicians, they're angry at law enforcement, and they're angry at society in general, because anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, it's a social problem,” he said. “It shouldn't be our responsibility to solve this problem.”
