The first night of Chanukah is meant to celebrate faith over darkness, a belief Rabbi Schlanger himself upheld. But on Sunday night in Sydney, that light was violently extinguished.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was 40 years old. A Chabad rabbi, he had welcomed a newborn son just two months ago and was among the 15 people killed when gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. The attack happened during Chanukah by the Sea, an annual event where a public menorah is lit in the Bondi Beach Park.
Schlanger regularly helped organize and emcee the gathering.
According to authorities, the two attackers have been identified as a father and son. They targeted the Jewish celebration and opened fire into the crowd, injuring dozens of people.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as “an act of antisemitic terrorism” and stressed that it occurred “on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy.”
For the Bondi Jewish community, Rabbi Schlanger’s death has been devastating.
This is Rabbi Eli Schlanger,murdered today by terrorists while celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, leaves behind a wife and four children. pic.twitter.com/uZBvoAWoyN
— Mr Commonsense (@fopminui) December 14, 2025
Schlanger was born in England and studied in France at Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Brunoy before receiving his ordination from the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch (770) in Crown Heights, New York. He later married Chayale Ulman, the daughter of Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, the senior dayan of the Sydney Beth Din. The couple eventually settled in Australia, where Schlanger became an assistant rabbi under his father-in-law at Chabad of Bondi F.R.E.E.
Those who knew him described Schlanger as deeply engaged with Sydney’s nearly 5,000 Russian-speaking Jewish residents, many of whom had immigrated after fleeing the former Soviet Union. His work extended well beyond the synagogue. Rabbi Schlanger also served as a chaplain for New South Wales Corrective Services, as well as for prisoners of war and St. Vincent’s Hospital.
He played a key role in launching initiatives that reached Jewish communities worldwide. Alongside his father-in-law, Schlanger developed a platform designed to assist individuals and shluchim with Jewish status certification. He also led Project Noah, an initiative focused on teaching the Seven Noahide Laws, and helped create an app used to report Mivtzoim outreach efforts.
Just a month ago, Schlanger organized a memorial honoring victims of terror attacks, including Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holzberg in Mumbai and Rabbi Zvi Kogan in Dubai. It was among the final events he shared with COLlive, following encouragement from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Two rabbis have been confirmed killed in the terror attack at the Hanukkah party in Bondi Beach.
Chabad of Bondi Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, a father of five who had just welcomed a newborn son, and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, who served as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious… pic.twitter.com/CBstIGgMmG
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 15, 2025
Schlanger is survived by his wife, Chayale; their children, including a two-month-old infant; his parents, Rabbi Binyomin and Dobra Schlanger; and siblings living across Australia, Israel, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Australia is home to approximately 117,000 Jews, less than 0.5% of the country’s population, according to NPR. The Bondi Beach attack comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide. Data from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry shows that more than 3,700 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the two years following October 7, 2023—nearly five times the rate seen over the previous decade.
As families like the Schlangers mourn and bury their dead, the country faces a renewed call for unity.
