Baruch Dayan HaEmet
Bondi Beach Massacre: 82 year old Marika Pogany Among Victims
Our deepest condolences to Marika Pogany's family, friends, and the entire Jewish community in this time of profound grief. Updates will follow as more details emerge.
Marika Pogany, an 82-year-old beloved pillar of Sydney's Jewish community and a tireless volunteer, was tragically killed in the antisemitic terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday during the "Chanukah by the Sea" celebration.
Pogany, who was sitting in the front row at the family-friendly Hanukkah event hosted by Chabad of Bondi, was fatally shot when father-and-son gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on the crowd, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more in Australia's deadliest mass shooting since Port Arthur in 1996.
Remembered as a "terrific person" and "incredibly loyal friend," Pogany devoted decades to community service. She was an avid member of Sydney's Centre of Activity (COA) for Jewish seniors and had been awarded the Jewish Communal Appeal’s Mensch Award for delivering over 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels since the late 1990s.
Friends described her as one of the "most beautiful people they knew," highlighting her warmth and commitment.Pogany was also a 20-year member of the Harbour View Bridge Club in Rose Bay, where director Matt Mullamphy recalled her as an "excellent bridge player and an even better friend" whom he had known for 40 years. Reports from Hungarian and Jewish sources indicate Pogany was a Holocaust survivor with Hungarian roots, having remained connected to her heritage despite emigrating to Australia.
She is among a diverse group of victims that includes 10-year-old Matilda, Assistant Rabbi Eli Schlanger (a father of five and event organizer), Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, grandfather Tibor Weitzen, former police officer Peter Meagher, French national Dan Elkayam, and businessman Reuven Morrison.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as "an act of evil antisemitism," vowing national action against hate. Mourners have gathered at Bondi Pavilion, leaving floral tributes as the community reels from the targeted violence on the first night of Hanukkah.
The investigation continues, with authorities confirming the attack's terrorist nature.