Father-in-law of murdered Chabad rabbi: ‘They’re looking to us to continue’

In tearful remarks delivered during morning prayers following the deadly terror shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday evening, the father-in-law of one of the victims urges the congregation to carry on the work of those who were murdered.

“For whatever reason, they died al kiddush hashem,” for the sanctification of God’s name,  says Rabbi Yehoram Ulman,  the co-founder of Chabad of Bondi, which organized the event that was targeted. His son-in-law, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was one of the at least 15 victims of the shooting.

“And now, they’re looking to us to continue, to make sure that everything they worked for, everything that they’ve done, continues stronger and stronger,” Ulman says. “We cannot allow terrorists — all they want to do is stifle our life as Jews, all they want to do is… bring us down, destroy us, make us despondent, lose hope.”

Incredibly moving

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman – Head of the Sydney Beth Din and Chabad Bondi -the community which was attacked speaks at Shacharit morning prayers, the day after the massacre.

Rabbi Ulman's son-in-law Rabbi Eli Schlanger and many of his congregants were killed. pic.twitter.com/LpnY6Vhi1t

— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 14, 2025

He continues, “At the moment, it seems, how can we go forward? How can we continue? But that’s not what any of the kedoshim [martyrs] would have ever agreed to. They never would have reacted in such a way, and we have to step up and do the same. We have no choice.”

He sobs as he says “Baruch dayan emes,” or “Blessed is the true judge,” which is traditionally said upon hearing of someone’s death.

He adds that even at a time of sorrow, “We have to remember that now is the time to be as much [in] achdus as possible, united.”