Bondi Beach Terror Attack Survivor Shared Story Of Survival And Jewish Resilience

The Monday, September 7th, 2026 event brought the community together for breakfast, Lazaroff’s firsthand account of the attack and his recovery, and High Holiday songs as participants prepared for Rosh Hashanah and the start of a new Jewish year.

Lazaroff had been helping organize Chabad of Bondi’s large “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration on December 14, 2025, when terrorists opened fire on the crowd. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more were injured in the attack.

Lazaroff was shot in the abdomen and leg. He waited approximately 45 minutes for an ambulance as the violence unfolded around him.

During the attack, Lazaroff also tried to help a critically wounded police officer before he himself was struck by gunfire. His survival and recovery later became the foundation of a message he began sharing with Jewish communities across the United States.

At the Boca Raton gathering, Lazaroff spoke not only about the terror of that day, but also about the decisions that followed. His message centered on responding to hatred not with retreat, but with greater Jewish pride, faith and purpose.

“Leibel’s story is extraordinarily powerful because ultimately it is not only a story about terror — it is a story about what we choose to do after terror,” Rabbi Ruvi New, Director of Boca Beach Chabad, said before the event. “As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and a new Jewish year, his message challenges us not to retreat in fear, but to respond with greater faith, greater Jewish pride and a deeper commitment to Jewish life.”

Lazaroff had previously shared his experience with Jewish communities around the country. During a recent appearance in Wisconsin, he reflected on the connection between his own experience and his family’s history. He recalled the chilling realization that his grandmother had once been hunted for being Jewish during the Holocaust, while generations later he had also been targeted simply for being a Jew.

That connection between generations gave his story an added significance as he spoke about the responsibilities that come with surviving antisemitic violence.

The Boca Raton program was part of Boca Beach Chabad’s Souls of Sydney initiative, which was launched following the Bondi Beach attack with the goal of transforming tragedy into positive Jewish action.

The timing of the Labor Day gathering, just days before Rosh Hashanah, provided an especially meaningful setting for Lazaroff’s message. After his presentation, attendees joined in familiar High Holiday songs and melodies, moving from a story of violence and survival toward themes of renewal, hope and spiritual awakening.

“Rosh Hashanah reminds us that no matter what the past year has brought, we are never prisoners of yesterday,” New said. “We can choose how we enter the year ahead. Leibel embodies that idea in an extraordinary way.”

For those gathered at the Boca Beach Chabad Jewish Center, the morning offered an opportunity to hear directly from someone whose life had been changed by one of the year’s most devastating attacks against a Jewish community — and to consider how tragedy could be met with renewed commitment to Jewish life.

The event took place at the Boca Beach Chabad Jewish Center, 490 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33432. The program included breakfast, Lazaroff’s testimony and High Holiday music.

The Souls of Sydney Mitzvah Project

The Souls of Sydney Mitzvah Project offered by the Boca Beach Chabad Jewish Center honors the memories of the lives tragically taken in the Bondi attack, by committing to increase light into the world through Mitzvahs. You can honor the Souls of Sydney by committing to put on Tefillin daily, or to lighting Shabbat candles at sunset on Friday. If you already do, you can be a Souls of Sydney Mitzvah Project Ambassador by engaging another Jew to commit to put on Tefillin each weekday, or to lighting Shabbat candles on Friday.

The Souls of Sydney Mitzvah Project will provide you with a new pair of Tefillin at no charge to put on daily or to share with another, and with Shabbat candle packages to light personally or distribute to others. Kindly fill out this form and we will follow up with you.

About Boca Beach Chabad:

Boca Beach Chabad Jewish Center, led by Rabbi Ruvi and Ahuva New, serves the greater East Boca Raton Jewish community through educational, spiritual, social and holiday programming. Its mission is grounded in the belief that every Jew belongs and that Jewish connection and growth can begin “As You Are.”

For more information, visit: www.bocabeachchabad.com