As news of the Bondi shootings travel the globe, I sit at in a beer garden in Munich where gigantic fake snowflakes hang from tall trees and the cold air bites into my cheeks. The news from Australia is even more chilling.

Australia is a safe country I tell the two women who sit next to me. Things like the Bondi killings do not happen in my country.

I am saddened by the loss of life, the targeting of the Jewish community, of any community. Latest reports say 16 people have died including one 10 year old and there are 40 injured.

The reverberation of this terrorist attack will be felt by most Australians. If the attack happened here in Europe I would not feel it so keenly. But it happened in my country, Australia, a safe place.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukah, which should have been a day of joy, a celebration of faith is an act of evil antisemitism.

“Terrorism has struck the heart of our nation,” Mr Albanese said.

And we are feeling it, even those of us on the other side of the world.

On December 28 I will be at Auschwitz, a trip planned more than six months ago.

I am going because I believe in bearing witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. It is important to remember what atrocities occurred during Nazi Germany and to make sure they don’t happen again.

But they are happening again — and on home ground. 

When I was a reporter in Sydney I covered the aftermath of the Lindt Cafe siege in 2014 where a lone gunman held 10 people hostage for 16 hours. Two people were killed.

The act of terrorism seemed unimaginable at the time — as it does today.

I am glued to the news from Australia. I cry a little, my sorrow for the families and community is palpable.

I don’t know what else to to do but write about it. 

If you feel the sorrow, hopelessness and tragedy of it all, I urge you to write about it, talk to someone and share your pain (not in hateful rants on social media).

In times of national sorrow such as now, I encourage you to be kind to yourself and to each other.

The awfulness of the Bondi massacre could trigger big feelings as the days and the investigation unfold and the details of the senseless, cowardly act of terrorism are revealed.

Do not focus solely on the father and son gunmen but on how you can demonstrate the opposite through kindness, through strength and with hope.

Use this atrocity to be more kind and more generous. Do not let bad people in this world take away the goodness.

At Auschwitz, I intend to pay my respects to the 1.1million people (Jews and others) murdered there (according to Wikipedia, and this was only one concentration camp complex).

For these people, their religion, their race, their circumstances dictated their deaths.

The same too for those at Bondi. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the tragedy there are helplines listed below. Do not feel ashamed to call and talk to someone. Sharing your feelings can make you feel less alone.

My heart breaks for those impacted by the Bondi tragedy. Thousands of kilometres across the world, I am thinking of you.

My heart is big and my tears flow easily.

I know the Bondi attack will have repercussions for Australia — our gun laws, immigration and religious freedoms. Those discussion will come later.

So much seems trivial since the gunmen first fired on the crowds at Bondi… but we carry on.

The world turns and as I close my eyes tonight and you open yours on this Monday morning on the other side of the world, we are connected in our grief and by the love of our country.

Share your kindness in practical, gentle ways. Avoid the arguments on Facebook and show up for each other. Don’t sweat the small stuff and try to be strong in a world that can feel cruel. 

I leave you with this quote from John Steinbeck’s novella Burning Bright.

‘With all our horrors and faults, somewhere in us there is a shining.’

If you’re struggling after recent events, know that help is available 24/7.

• NSW Mental Health Line: Call 1800 011 511
• Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.
• Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
• Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.
• 1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.
• 13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.
• MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 15 December 2025.