The horrific massacre during a Hanukkah celebration of the Jewish community in Australia led news broadcasts around the world, including on American networks, which were simultaneously covering the mass shooting at Brown University. Although the attack took place on the other side of the world, New York City Mayor Eric Adams — and the man set to replace him next month, Zohran Mamdani — both condemned the crime and said they would do everything possible to prevent a similar incident in New York during the holiday season. Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities in New York City and surrounding areas have raised alert levels as a precaution.
“We are closely monitoring the horrific attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration,” the NYPD said in a statement. “We are in touch with our Australian partners, and at this time, we see no nexus to NYC.”
At the same time, Adams announced that city agencies and law enforcement are preparing across the city to secure Jewish institutions and Hanukkah events. “Here at home, the NYPD is monitoring the situation. And while we see no nexus to NYC at this time, out of an abundance of caution, we are deploying additional resources to Hanukkah celebrations and to synagogues,” Adams wrote Sunday on X in response to the Bondi Beach attack. “We will continue to ensure the Jewish community can celebrate the holiday in safety — including at public menorah lightings across the city. Let us pray for the injured and stand together against hatred.”
Although Mayor-elect Mamdani has not yet taken office, he issued his own condemnation, which carries symbolic weight amid lingering suspicion within New York’s Jewish community because of his outspoken anti-Israel positions.
“The attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney today was a vile act of antisemitic terror,” Mamdani wrote on X. “I mourn those who were murdered and will be keeping their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in my prayers. May the memories of all those killed be a blessing.”
“While we are still waiting for all the facts to emerge, what we already know is devastating: at least 11 dead, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who had deep ties to Crown Heights, and at least 29 injured. Another Jewish community has been plunged into mourning and loss, a holiday of light so painfully reduced to a day of darkness,” he added.
Mamdani said the attack was part of a broader pattern of global violence targeting Jews. “Too many no longer feel safe to be themselves, to express their faith publicly, or to worship in their synagogues without armed security stationed outside,” he wrote. “What happened at Bondi is what many Jewish people fear could happen in their own communities.”
He also referenced reports that one man ran toward the gunfire and disarmed a shooter. “As Jewish New Yorkers light menorahs tonight and usher in the first night of Hanukkah clouded by grief, let us look to his example and confront hatred with the urgency and action it demands,” Mamdani wrote. “When I am mayor, I will work every day to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe — on our streets, on our subways, at shul, in every moment of every day.”
Meanwhile, Suffolk County on Long Island said it was also increasing security. While authorities said there was no indication of specific threats against the local Jewish community, law enforcement is monitoring the situation and boosting police deployment at Hanukkah-related events.
“While there are no threats locally, the department is in constant contact with its law enforcement partners,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina and County Executive Ed Romaine said in a joint statement. “As always, patrols around religious institutions have been increased during the holidays, and those efforts have now been enhanced. We are reaching out to Jewish community leaders and ask anyone who sees suspicious activity to call 911.”
First published: 05:26, 12.15.25