Bondi attack stories and memories to be preserved in new digital project

The Sydney Jewish Museum has asked people to share memories through an online tool, and hoped the project would "amplify healing".

Cards and notes on a board.

Thousands of items, including cards, photos and artworks, were collected from Bondi to be preserved after the attack. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins

Australians are being urged to share their stories of "tragedy, grief, love and support" in a digital project to preserve memories of the Bondi massacre.

Fifteen people were killed in the Bondi Beach attack that targeted a Hanukkah festival on 14 December, shocking Australia and sparking a national focus on antisemitism.

The Sydney Jewish Museum, in a bid to collect the memories of those affected, has launched "Remembering Bondi" — an online resource to share items linked to the attack.

The museum said the project was for local Jews, residents, witnesses and victims' families to read and reflect, as well as to add photos, videos, thoughts and recollections.

"There's been such an outpouring of emotion, certainly a lot of beautiful support and grief but also a lot of love in the weeks following Bondi," museum spokesperson Geoff Sirmai said.

"From the museum's point of view it behoves us to collect everything about it from a historical point of view, to be able to tell the story archivally, curatorially so that the events are preserved for the future."

Large sea of floral tributes outside Bondi Pavilion.
A mass of flowers, cards, toys and other tributes at Bondi Pavilion grew each day after the attack. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Launched on Friday, the site had already received many responses, helping to ensure memories endured for future generations, he said.

"People are putting up words, pictures, videos even, they're creating poems, stories and we expect it to be many more."

He said the project would be transferred to a permanent exhibition in mid-2027 at the museum, currently under renovation.

The attack, allegedly carried out by a father and son inspired by the ideology of the self-proclaimed Islamic State group, prompted an outpouring of grief at Bondi, resulting in a large memorial.

The museum said its project continued work that was done to preserve the memorial's "countless tributes", including thousands of flowers, in order to capture the "trauma and tragedy, grief, love and support" that followed the attack.

"With 'Remembering Bondi' we hope to amplify the healing that has already begun through wide community support," head curator Roslyn Sugarman said in a statement.

The project's launch comes after Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Australia for four days to show solidarity with the Jewish community.

The Israeli head of state's visit sparked large protests in Sydney and Melbourne.


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Source: AAP


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