Rabbi Eli Schlanger Named as Chabad Shaliach who was Murdered While Attending Hanukkah Party on Bondi Beach 

Rabbi Eli Schlanger z”l was a Chabad emissary and community leader whose life was defined by quiet dedication to Jewish continuity, learning and public Jewish life in Sydney, Australia. Serving as a rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, he became a central figure for families, students and visitors, known for his warmth, accessibility and deep sense of responsibility to every Jew who crossed his path.

Rabbi Schlanger carried a strong awareness of Jewish history as something lived, not abstract. After arriving in Sydney, he learned that his great-uncle, Nossen Nutte Schlanger, a promising Torah scholar from Brzostek, Poland, had been murdered in the Holocaust. That discovery left a lasting imprint on him and reinforced his commitment to education, remembrance and ensuring that Jewish life would not merely survive, but be visible and confident.

He believed deeply in involving the next generation. Rabbi Schlanger often brought his family into his communal work, including his children, seeing this as both an educational responsibility and a statement about continuity. He played a key role in returning historically significant Torah scrolls to active use, linking past generations to present-day Jewish life in tangible ways.

Those who knew him describe a man of humility, steady faith and genuine kindness, someone who listened carefully and led without ego.

Rabbi Schlanger celebrated the birth of a baby boy a few weeks ago.

Just last month, Chabad House in Bondi, Sydney, held an event in memory of Chabad emissaries Gabi and Rivki Holtzberg, who were murdered in the Mumbai attack, and Chabad member Zvi Kogan, who was killed in the United Arab Emirates.

Today, Rabbi Schlanger was murdered while attending a Chabad Chaukah party at Bondi Beach.The shooting has so far claimed some ten lives and has shocked Jewish communities far beyond Australia.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger z”l is remembered as a rabbi who lived his values quietly and consistently, leaving behind a legacy of faith, courage and care for others.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet.