The sun-drenched afternoon at Bondi Beach dissolved into chaos in an instant for Finn Foster and Hayden Lombardi, two eighteen-year-olds from Brantford, Ontario, backpacking across Australia. Just hours earlier, they’d been enjoying the iconic beach, the waves a soothing rhythm to their adventure. They were heading for ice cream, a simple pleasure, when the first unsettling sounds pierced the idyllic scene.
At first, they dismissed the noises as car backfires or celebratory fireworks. But the sporadic pops quickly escalated, overlapping into a terrifying staccato. A wave of panic surged through the crowd as thousands of beachgoers began to run, their carefree laughter replaced by screams. The realization hit with chilling force: this was no accident.
Instinct took over, and Finn and Hayden raced towards the safety of their hostel, a desperate flight from the unfolding horror. Finn described a feeling of unreality, a disbelief that such violence could shatter a perfect day. Even now, the event feels distant, a nightmare he struggles to fully comprehend.
Hayden, fueled by adrenaline, found herself holding open the hostel door, a beacon of refuge for the fleeing crowd. She offered comfort to a young woman, Rosie, providing water and tissues, assuming she was simply overwhelmed by the panic. It was a small act of kindness amidst the growing terror.
The true weight of Rosie’s distress wouldn’t become clear until later. Through a message on Instagram, Rosie revealed a devastating loss: her uncle, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, had been among those murdered during a Hanukkah celebration on the beach. Despite her own grief, Rosie’s message was one of gratitude and hope, a testament to her uncle’s life dedicated to helping others.
While Hayden stayed with Rosie, Finn returned to the beach, drawn by a morbid curiosity and a desperate need to understand. The scene that greeted him was one of unimaginable devastation. Bodies lay covered by tarps and towels, a stark contrast to the vibrant beach he’d known just hours before. First responders frantically sought help from anyone with CPR training.
He witnessed a man from the hostel tirelessly working to revive victims for three hours, returning with hands stained crimson. The sheer scale of the emergency response was overwhelming – a sea of police cars, helicopters circling overhead, and ambulances racing to the scene. It was a scene etched forever in his memory.
Abandoned belongings littered the sand: phones, wallets, food, bicycles – remnants of lives abruptly interrupted. Cars were haphazardly parked, people desperately grabbing children and fleeing for safety. The beach, once a symbol of freedom and joy, had become a landscape of fear and loss.
Back at the hostel, sleep proved impossible. Finn and others huddled together, watching the news as the death toll climbed. The Hanukkah celebration, attended by around a thousand people, had been targeted by two gunmen, leaving fifteen dead, including a ten-year-old girl, and dozens injured. The attack was swiftly declared an act of terrorism, linked to the Islamic State and fueled by antisemitism.
The following day, Bondi Beach was transformed. The vibrant energy had vanished, replaced by an eerie silence. Even the sun seemed to hide its face, casting a pall over the once-golden sands. At the Bondi Pavilion, mourners gathered, leaving flowers and offering each other solace in shared grief.
Hayden struggled to comprehend the hatred that could drive someone to commit such an act of violence. The senselessness of it all was deeply unsettling. Despite the trauma, Finn and Hayden, who had deferred university to embark on this adventure, considered continuing their travels, supported by their families and friends.
They are determined not to let fear dictate their lives, and are now contemplating a visit to Vietnam. The experience has shaken them profoundly, but it has also reinforced their resilience and their commitment to embracing life, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
