Even as terrorists attempted to extinguish the light of Chanukah yesterday at Australia’s Bondi Beach — murdering 11 innocent people and injuring dozens more — something unexpected emerged amid the horror. In a moment when far greater devastation seemed inevitable, a miracle occurred that prevented an even deeper tragedy.
Fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed stepped toward danger, disarmed one of the attackers, and — at great personal cost — saved countless others. His courage places him among those throughout history who chose conscience over fear, humanity over hatred. As we enter this Festival of Lights, his bravery stands as a testament to the possibility of light even in the darkest hour. Our prayers and gratitude are with this hero and father of two.
This attack joins a heartbreaking pattern. Israel continues to face the aftermath of a seven-front war, surging global antisemitism, and a hostage crisis whose trauma reverberates daily. All of it echoes into Jewish communities worldwide, including at Bondi Beach. Yet Chanukah arrives each year to affirm the same timeless truth: miracles often begin in the moments we feel most broken.
A mission born from tragedy, sustained by hope
At OneFamily, we have been walking alongside victims of terror for nearly 25 years. Our organization was born in 2001, in the immediate aftermath of the Sbarro bombing in Jerusalem—a single afternoon that took 16 innocent lives, including seven children and a pregnant woman, Shoshana Greenbaum of Passaic, N.J. That moment shattered families, communities, and assumptions about safety. It also sparked a movement of compassion that became OneFamily.
Then came Oct. 7, 2023, the darkest day the Jewish people have faced since the Holocaust. Entire families were murdered. Children orphaned. Communities devastated. Hundreds taken hostage — some never returned, and those who did came home forever changed. The emotional and psychological toll of that day will shape the next three decades of Israeli life.
Once again, the world felt unbearably dark.
And once again, light insisted on returning.
Where light meets action
In the days and months after October 7, the needs in Israel multiplied beyond anything seen before. Almost overnight, OneFamily tripled our staff and programming to reach thousands of newly bereaved, newly wounded, and newly traumatized families.
Today, across Israel — from the Golan to the Negev — our teams run more than 50 weekly support groups, resilience workshops, therapeutic retreats, and emergency financial assistance programs. These circles of care help widows feel less alone, help siblings find their voices, help wounded soldiers rebuild their strength, and help bereaved parents reach for life again.
This month, we are preparing a week-long therapeutic Chanukah Camp for 500 children ages 8–18 who lost parents, siblings, or homes. For many, it will be the first time they laugh freely since the war. The first time they sleep through the night. The first time they begin to remember what hope feels like.
Our coordinators — our “professional friends” — are in living rooms, hospitals, cemeteries, and shiva houses every day. They sit with anguish that has no words. They carry the tears of families who cannot yet carry their own. They are the light that so many depend on, and I am profoundly grateful for each of them.
Choosing light anyway
Chanukah teaches that light is not the absence of darkness — it is the defiance of it. And this year, that truth feels especially urgent.
Thousands of Israeli families are only now beginning to understand the depth of their grief and the long, uneven road ahead. But every day, we witness a quiet miracle: resilience becomes the pathway toward healing, and love becomes their greatest strength.
Against hatred in Bondi Beach, against terror in Israel, against fear spreading across the world — light persists. Sometimes, through a hero who runs toward danger. Sometimes, through a child who learns to smile again. Sometimes through communities that refuse to let one another fall.
And sometimes through all of us — when we choose to stand together.
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