NSW faith leaders have united in a strong show of solidarity with the Jewish community following Sunday’s terrorist attack targeting a Chanukah event in Bondi, condemning the violence and vowing to work together to combat antisemitism and hatred across the state.

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Emergency meeting after Bondi attack

On Monday 15 December 2025, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper convened an emergency meeting of the Faith Affairs Council and senior religious leaders from some of the state’s largest denominations in response to the Bondi attack. Council members and faith leaders expressed their deepest sympathies to those killed in the “horrific attack”, reiterated their solidarity with the Jewish community, and unanimously reaffirmed a joint Faith Affairs Council and Multicultural Advisory Board communiqué issued on Sunday night.

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Minister Kamper conveyed the NSW Government’s heartbreak, encouraged leaders and their communities to reach out directly to Jewish counterparts, and stressed that Australians of all faiths must work “unambiguously” together to restore confidence in the state’s multicultural model.

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Jewish community voices and calls to action

Senior Jewish clergy addressed the gathering, including Rabbi Benjamin Elton of Sydney’s Great Synagogue and Rabbi Nochum Shapiro of Chabad House of the North Shore, who also serves as President of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia. Rabbi Shapiro urged fellow faith leaders to encourage their communities to take tangible steps of solidarity, such as lighting a Chanukah candle or engaging in acts of charity “to fight the darkness with light.”

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Faith leaders at the meeting acknowledged that many in the Jewish community feel increasingly isolated and called on congregations across traditions to embrace and accompany Jewish Australians in their grief. They agreed to work collaboratively on concrete actions to address antisemitism and broader forms of hatred in NSW.

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United condemnation from faith leaders

Right Rev Dr Michael Stead, Chair of the Faith Affairs Council and Anglican Bishop, described the gathering as “a demonstration of our faith communities at their best,” marked by shared grief, compassion for “Jewish brothers and sisters” and an unequivocal, united condemnation of “this evil terrorist attack.” Dr Stead said that by continuing to work together “in love and respect”, faith communities would help build peace and harmony in the nation.

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Sheikh Shadi Alsuleiman, President of the Australian National Imams Council, said the Muslim community’s “heart went out” to Jewish Australians, characterising the incident as a targeted attack on their community that “also cut to the heart of every Australian.” Archbishop Kanishka Raffel of the Anglican Church of Australia relayed accounts from Jewish leaders that their community had felt increasingly alone, urging those present to stand with them collectively.

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Personal impacts and shared concerns

Andrew Harper from Australian Christian Churches shared a personal reflection from his family, recounting how his young daughter had asked on Sunday night if she was safe, a fear he said was being felt “tragically” across the Jewish community. His comments underscored broader concerns about safety and belonging among faith communities in the wake of the attack.

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Leaders around the table pledged that their communities would “stand firmly in solidarity” with Jewish Australians and continue joint efforts to tackle antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence. Meeting vision has been made available publicly, and the statement lists 25 attending leaders spanning Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish communities, along with representatives from Multicultural NSW and interfaith organisations.