Report by Executive Director Rabbi Mauricio Balter

Between February 9 and 12, 2026, I travelled to Australia on behalf of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) as part of a delegation of solidarity and support for the Australian Jewish community following the brutal attack in Bondi Beach, in which fifteen people were murdered.

Our delegation, led by WZO President Yakov Hagoel, joined the official mission headed by the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and his wife, Michal.

As a member of the Executive, I had the honor of participating alongside Elisheva Ansbacher, Chair of the WZO Va’ad Hapoel; Matan Bar Noi, WZO Representative in Europe; Yizhar Lifshitz, son of Oded Lifshitz z”l, who was kidnapped and murdered in Gaza; Itzik and Noa Bunzel, parents of Eitan Bunzel z”l, a soldier who fell in the battles in Gaza; and Aby and Mijal Moses, President of the Organization of Victims of Terrorism. Doron Almog, Chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel, also took part.

This was not a typical delegation. Each name carried a story of pain, loss, and resilience. Victims of terrorism, bereaved family members, and leaders of the Jewish people stood together with one shared commitment: to accompany, to support, and to affirm that the Jewish people do not abandon their communities.

Bondi Beach: Memory and Presence

One of the most powerful moments of the visit was the memorial ceremony at Bondi Beach. Standing at the site where fifteen people were murdered simply for being Jewish was profoundly moving.

Hearing the families speak about their experiences transformed statistics into faces, stories, and lives cut short. In that moment, solidarity was no longer an abstract idea—it was presence.

The attack did not distinguish between movements or ideologies. It targeted Jews. And our presence there sent a clear message: they were not alone.

The Gathering with the Families: Solemnity and Tension

Prior to the public gathering, a private meeting was held exclusively with the families of the fifteen victims at the Chabad center in Bondi. In attendance were Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; Israeli President Isaac Herzog; WZO President Yakov Hagoel; and Jewish Agency Chairman Doron Almog.

The intention was to create a respectful and intimate space for the families before the larger communal event.

At the same time, pro-Palestinian groups filed a request with a local court seeking arrest warrants against Yakov Hagoel and Doron Almog on allegations of war crimes, adding tension to an already sensitive setting.

Inside the room, an uncomfortable moment arose when the Prime Minister announced that he would not sit next to Hagoel and Almog. A heavy silence followed.

President Herzog intervened with clarity, stating that the meeting with the families must proceed and remain focused on its purpose. The gathering continued. The Prime Minister remained to the side and, during his remarks at the gathering with the families, limited his comments to reading the names of the victims without adding words of condemnation or additional expressions of comfort.

Beyond the political tension, what remained central was the families’ grief. It became clear that our presence was rooted in something deeper than politics: shared responsibility in the face of our people’s suffering.

That earlier gathering at Chabad also powerfully expressed the meaning of Peoplehood. Jews from different movements stood side by side, united by grief and shared responsibility. A Chabad woman, a Mizrachi woman, and a Masorti man—different traditions, one shared destiny. In moments of loss, labels fall away.

Thousands Inside and Thousands Outside

The major communal events in Sydney and Melbourne reflected the complexity of the moment. Thousands filled the halls, expressing unity, strength, and solidarity. At the same time, thousands protested outside against our presence.

That contrast captured the broader global climate.

Yet inside the community, what prevailed was dignity and resolve. The Australian Jewish community demonstrated organization, courage, and a clear determination not to allow fear to define its future.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Rabbi Rafi Kaiserbluth. Later, together with WZO President Yakov Hagoel, we visited Emanuel Synagogue, where we were welcomed by Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins.

Emanuel embodies a unique model: three synagogues—Masorti, Reform, and Renewal—sharing one campus. Each person chooses where to pray, and afterward everyone gathers together for Kiddush.

Diversity without fragmentation. Difference without division. A shared communal identity.

The visit concluded with a breakfast meeting with the leadership of Kehilat Nitzan in Melbourne—Rabbi Yonathan Sadoff, Jonathan Furstenberg, Anne Plotkin, and Adele Stowe-Lindner—reaffirming the same message of unity and commitment.

Youth and Narrative

Another deeply moving moment was meeting six young Australians who had participated in the Young Zionist Congress.

Several shared that they had been enrolled in public schools and, because of troubling experiences, chose to transfer to Jewish schools in order to study in an environment that felt safer and more respectful.

They represented a generation unwilling to relinquish either their Jewish identity or their connection to Israel.

I also attended a JNF event where I heard Noa Tishbi speak. Her remarks were clear and compelling, reminding us that today’s challenge is not only political or diplomatic—it is also narrative. The ability to articulate Israel’s reality clearly and responsibly is an essential part of our collective work.

Memory and Resilience: Adat Israel

During the visit, we also toured Adat Israel Synagogue, which had been set on fire one year earlier in an attack that deeply shook the community.

The arson was not simply an attack on a building—it was an attempt to intimidate and instill fear.

The visit served as a reminder that antisemitism has real, tangible consequences. Yet it also underscored a historic Jewish response: to rebuild, to strengthen, and to continue.

A Renewed Conviction

This journey was not merely a diplomatic mission. It was a lived expression of mutual responsibility.

When one community was attacked, the entire Jewish people responded.
When antisemitism sought to intimidate, the response was presence.
When violence attempted to divide, unity was chosen.

I returned from Australia with strengthened conviction: our strength does not lie in uniformity, but in shared responsibility.

We do not choose the challenges of our generation.
But we do choose how we respond.

And our response must continue to be greater solidarity, deeper Peoplehood, and ongoing commitment to building our shared future.