In the days since the Bondi massacre, I have found myself, patients, colleagues and the whole community feeling disoriented. Waiting to wake up from an impossible nightmare.
As a doctor, I’ve spoken with patients in tears, colleagues who feel hollowed out and parents who cannot stop thinking about 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim of the massacre.
Physical and psychological violence
The depravity of the violence in Bondi was, and is, horrific. And, it doesn’t stop with the physical violence.
There are so many additional layers of psychological evil perpetrated on that day.
The massacre shook every single Australian’s sense of safety in any public space in the country. It also deeply damaged the Jewish community’s Australian identity, sense of belonging in Australia, and set intergenerational healing back.
I’ve heard so many from the Jewish community reflect about their intergenerational trauma re-surfacing. The fears of their family members who were Holocaust survivors, the fears which we all hoped were distant, starting to happen now in front of their very eyes.
The physical violence happened geographically in Bondi but the psychological violence permeated the whole country and, perhaps, the whole global Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
We need to appreciate the scale of the disease to start thinking about how to heal.
The Christchurch Massacre, the events in Gaza, and the events in Sudan are being felt by so many Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. Similarly, the Bondi Massacre is affecting every single Jewish person globally. We need to rally collectively around our Jewish brothers, sisters and community and truly be there for them in this terrifying, harrowing, heart-wrenching time.
We need to immerse the Jewish community in love.
How do we deal with this collective shock
Firstly, you should follow your own timeline. You might be running on adrenaline now and the grief may catch up with you next week or next month.
Listen to your body and deal with the grief when it emerges. The grief lives in our bodies, and, when it is ignored, it may surface in other ways like panic attacks, unexplained irritability, sleep disturbance or fatigue.
Here are some ideas which can help you deal with the shock and trauma:
Allow your emotions and thoughts some space
– Take time off work, using sick days or mental health days if you need to
– Sit with loved ones
– Allow yourself to cry – this can provide release
Sensory grounding
– Gentle movement such as yoga, stretching, or walking can signal safety to the nervous system
– Holding a textured object in your hands, feeling your feet on the ground, or breathing slowly can create a moment of steadiness from which emotions can begin to process
Articulate what you feel when you’re ready
– Speak the fear, shock, worry and intergenerational trauma aloud
– Share your emotions with a trusted friend, write in a journal, or simply name the feeling aloud to yourself
– Fear, anger, sadness, numbness—all are valid responses to trauma. Naming them allows the intensity to move from the body into awareness
Reconnect with your agency and share the light of Hannukah:
– Send a message of love
– Donate time, money or to a blood bank
– Reach out to a member of the Jewish community, a parent finding it hard to read stories about Matilda, or anyone you think may be struggling
Remind yourself that you are safe
Our government and police are implementing everything possible to prevent this from happening ever again. Events like this are extraordinarily rare in Australia, and history over the past 30 years reflects that. Trauma narrows our focus to danger. We can reassure ourselves to calm down our bodies
If at any point you feel unsafe, fear you may harm yourself or someone else, or feel too overwhelmed to care for a dependent such as a young child, please seek urgent help. Call 000. Reaching out is an act of courage and responsibility
Love is the only way to collectively heal
Trauma can risk isolating us from each other.
We should lean into love and connection now more than ever.
To anyone from the Jewish community reading this: I cannot profess to understand what you are experiencing. I hope you find solace in knowing that all of Australia stands with you. There is deep love towards you from every corner. There is also so much determination across this country to keep you safe and to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again.
This is a dark chapter. But it does not define us. We cannot undo what has happened, but we can decide what we learn from it. We must choose compassion and connection over fear and commit to honouring those lost in Bondi by creating a better, safer, united country for all.
Let us learn from the powerful lessons of Hannukah and let the light defeat the shadow.
Feature image: Matilda.
Support Services:
- In an Emergency, call 000. They provide support for life‑threatening emergencies or if anyone feels unsafe
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Lifeline provides 24/7 Crisis & suicide prevention
- Text: 0477 13 11 14
- Online chat: lifeline.org.au (24/7)
- Kids Helpline – For people aged 5–25
- Phone: 1800 55 1800 (24/7)
- Website: kidshelpline.com.au
- headspace (for ages 12–25) – Youth mental health support
- Phone: 1800 650 890