“Matilda, 10”.
The name and age of the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack rebounded off the soaring vaulted ceiling of St Paul’s Cathedral, along with the names of the 14 other lives lost in an act of antisemitic violence last month.
A little girl, last seen walking hand-in-hand with her sister towards the petting zoo at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration.
The silence that followed her name was no longer or louder than the pause that followed the names of the other victims, but it settled differently. Then, a minute’s silence.
Thursday marked a National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, the first observed in Australia since the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
In Victoria, political and faith leaders from around the state joined hundreds of mourners in an act of unity following the terrorist attack, which has, in the days since December 14, exposed deep division in the community.
“We stand side by side with members of the Jewish community here in Melbourne and throughout Australia, and with countless people the world over who, like us, condemn antisemitism, hate crime, persecution and violence,” Anglican Dean of Melbourne Andreas Loewe said.
“Here, in this iconic cathedral at the heart of Melbourne, we celebrate our city and our community, with its people’s commitment to difference and respect for diversity.”
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