Emotional scenes unfolded at Bondi Beach on Thursday as the footbridge used by gunmen to target a Hanukah celebration was reopened to the public. Mourners gathered to pay their respects just days after the terror attack that claimed 15 lives.
A Bridge of Sorrow and Remembrance
When police lifted the crime scene tape shortly after 11am, one of the first to arrive was Noah, a close friend of the slain Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He went directly to the footbridge where two alleged terrorists had fired upon the celebration in Archer Park on Sunday evening.
Standing on the bridge, Noah sang a Jewish memorial prayer. He described feeling profoundly emotional, telling reporters that Rabbi Schlanger was "a fighter" and "a man of peace." Noah explained his compulsion to visit, stating, "I knew I had to come here and fight. I felt like standing on the top of the bridge and just singing a memorial prayer for him, blasting it out with my heart."
A Community in Mourning
Throughout the morning, a steady stream of mourners and well-wishers who had left tributes at the Bondi Pavilion began to filter across the reopened bridge. The atmosphere was one of quiet reflection and shared grief.
Some stood in silence, gazing at the ocean, while others embraced and wept beneath the trees after crossing from Campbell Parade into the park. A large, unlit menorah stood near the playground as a sombre reminder of the interrupted festival.
Jay, who visited from Earlwood with two friends, expressed the community's shock. "I hope the Jewish community feel the support they're getting from the public," she said. Her friend offered words of solidarity to a Jewish community member, telling him, "You're not alone. We stand with you."
Scars of the Attack
The park, typically a bustling gateway to the famous beach, remained solemn. A New South Wales police officer pointed out a tree where a colleague had taken cover during the shooting. He indicated divots in the bark from ricocheting bullets, remarking that the officer had been "very lucky."
Will Namesh, the Mayor of Waverley Council, said the local community had been left "in shock, has been in mourning and it has been in grief" following the "unspeakable acts of evil committed here."
Noah revealed that the Jewish community plans to return to the area on Sunday night to hold an event, exactly one week after the attack, honouring Rabbi Schlanger's legacy of bringing people together.
A Fractured Normalcy
By Thursday afternoon, a semblance of routine began to return. Surf life-savers hoisted the red and yellow flags on Bondi Beach for the first time since Sunday, and swimmers cautiously returned to the water. A second memorial of flowers continued to grow on the promenade.
However, the mood at the packed tourist destination was far from a typical summer day. Jill, who travelled from the Central Coast to show support, laid flowers at the pavilion before visiting the bridge. "We just want them to know that they're loved, and our arms are wrapped around them," she said. "We're crying with them too. Standing right here … it's unbelievable."
The reopening of the footbridge marked a painful but necessary step for a community grappling with loss, as it seeks to reclaim a space forever marked by tragedy.
