BURST
One of the victims of a deadly terror attack that targeted the Jewish community over the weekend at Australia’s Bondi Beach was a Holocaust survivor who reportedly shielded his wife.
Alex Kleytman, 87, was killed on the first night of Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. He was at the event with his wife, children and grandchildren. “I think he was shot, because he raised himself up to protect me, in the back of the head,” his wife, Larisa Kleytman, told Daily Mail .
Other victims include a 10-year-old girl, a local businessman, an Israeli grandfather, a 27-year-old French national, a volunteer who delivered kosher meals to the Jewish community, and the rabbi who planned the Hanukkah celebration on the beach , according to Jewish organization Chabad .
The event , which included a candle-lighting ceremony, food and entertainment for children, was scheduled for 5 p.m. local time on Sunday. It was cut short when two terrorists opened fire, murdering at least 16 people and injuring 40, according to the latest news release from authorities in Sydney. Two people have been arrested.
Here is what is known about some of the victims who were killed.
Alex Kleytman, 87
As Kleytman’s wife told Daily Mail, her husband shielded her from the attack. The pair moved to Australia from Ukraine and had two children and 11 grandchildren. Larisa Kleytman told The Australian that while they were standing, they heard “boom boom” and “everybody fell down,” the Times of Israel reported .
“At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me,” she said about her husband.
They were both Holocaust survivors and had been married nearly 60 years, according to 9News . Kleytman survived the Holocaust in Siberia with his mother and brother, per the outlet.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41
🕯️Baruch Dayan Haemet Rabbi Eli Schlanger hy"d
— Chabad.org (@Chabad) December 14, 2025
Eli was the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and a key organizer of the event. For 18 years, since his marriage to wife Chaya, he has served as a rabbi and chaplain in the Bondi community.
הרב פייבל אליעזר בן בנימין הלוי הי"ד pic.twitter.com/HtzT38DtYn
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was one of the organizers of the Hanukkah event and assistant rabbi at the Chabad of Bondi. According to Chabad , he was enjoying himself and talking to members of the community when the terrorists attacked. He was born in London and attended yeshiva (an educational institution dedicated to the study of rabbinic texts) in France.
A fellow rabbi and former classmate described Schlanger as “passionate, energetic” and said “he was a happy personality.”
Schlanger had written to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, expressing concern about Australia’s Jewish community. “As a rabbi in Sydney, I beg you not to betray the Jewish people and not God Himself,” he wrote in the letter several weeks ago, the Times of Israel reported .
“Jews have been torn from their land again and again by leaders who are now remembered with contempt in the pages of history. You have an opportunity to stand on the side of truth and justice.”
In a Facebook post , Schlanger’s cousin called him a “truly an incredible guy.”
Schlanger was a husband and father of five children, including a two-month-old son.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was described as a “man of quiet devotion” and was “known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others, including his commitment to distributing tefillin as a sacred act of service,” in the description of a fundraiser set up for his family. ( Tefillin are leather straps attached to boxes containing Hebrew parchment scrolls. They are wrapped to the heads and arms of Jewish men, usually for morning prayers.)
“Yaakov was the cornerstone of his family: a devoted husband and father,” according to the fundraiser.
Levitan worked at the BINA Centre in Sydney. The organization provides the Jewish community with classes and programs that bring 3,000 years “of wisdom to life, applying ancient insights to modern living.” Levitan also served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, according to Chabad. Sydney Beth Din is a rabbinic court, providing services such as Jewish divorces and conversions to Judaism.
Matilda Bee Britvan, 10
A 10-year-old girl named Matilda Bee Britvan was identified in a Facebook post by her aunt, The Australian reported . Her mother, Valentina Poltavchenko, was photographed grieving at a memorial that was held at the Bondi Pavilion on Monday in Sydney.
The 10-year-old’s teacher, Irina Goodhew, organized a GoFundMe to help the family. The young girl was described as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”
“Matilda was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is in the love and compassion we share. Her memory reminds us to carry kindness in our hearts and spread it to the world,” said Goodhew.
Reuven Morrison
Morrison was originally from the U.S.S.R., according to Chabad. He was a businessman who divided his time between Sydney and Melbourne.
“He was a longtime resident of Melbourne, where he and his wife moved to afford themselves a superior education for their daughter, Shaina,” per Chabad. His main goal was to give his “earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi.”
Dan Elkayam, 27
Elkayam was a 27-year-old French national. He was a soccer player on Rockdale Ilinden FC’s Premier League 1 team. The football club said in a Facebook post it was devastated to learn that Elkayam was “tragically and senselessly killed in the Bondi Beach massacre.”
“He loved the Australian way of life. Football was his passion — together with spending time on the beach and socializing with friends. His smiling face and respectful nature will be sorely missed by his team mates and everyone that knew him,” the post said.
The club’s president, Dennis Loether, said in a separate post that he was an “extremely talented midfield player.”
In a post written in French on X , Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed that he was one of the victims in the Bondi Beach terror attack. French President Emmanuel Macron also posted a statement on X, saying he was thinking of Elkayam’s family and friends.
“Dan was out celebrating Chanukah with his fellow Jews in Sydney when his promising young life was snuffed out,” Chabad reported.
Tibor Weitzen, 78
Weitzen was an Israeli husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a member of the Chabad community in Sydney, according to Chabad. He was affectionately called “the Lollypop man.”
His grandson identified him at the scene and said he was killed while protecting others.
Marika Pogány, 82
Pogány was known for serving the Jewish community. As a volunteer, she delivered 12,000 kosher meals with Meals on Wheels as of 2022, according to Chabad. On Monday, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry named her as one of the victims in a post on X .
Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini, who identified Pogány as a Slovak woman, extended his “heartfelt and sincere condolences to Marika’s family and loved ones” and condemned the massacre.
She was sitting front row at the Hanukkah event when she was killed, 9News reported . Her friends told the publication they were “very fond of her” and called her an “amazing person.”
Peter Meagher
Meagher, who was known as “Marzo,” was a retired detective sergeant with the NSW Police Force. He served for nearly 40 years, according to a statement released by the Randwick Rugby club, where he was also a manager and club volunteer.
“Peter was working as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event and for him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time,” the release said. He was described as a “much loved figure and absolute legend” of the club.
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