A man hailed as a hero for his courageous actions during the deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach has been laid to rest. Reuven Morrison, 62, died after confronting alleged gunmen during a Hanukkah celebration last Sunday evening.
A Final Act of Bravery
Reuven Morrison was among those marking the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach when two gunmen, allegedly father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire. In a now-viral video, Mr Morrison was seen bravely throwing a brick and stones at one of the shooters, who had moments earlier been disarmed by another hero, 44-year-old Ahmed El Ahmed.
His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, previously described her father as "one to run towards danger" to protect others. Delivering a powerful eulogy, Mr Morrison's best friend, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, said his final actions were perfectly in character. "It is so Reuven to be the one to try and stop the terrorists himself," he told mourners.
Rabbi Gutnick emphasised the impact of Morrison's intervention: "We only know now the number of lives he actually saved. In the period of time that the terrorist was distracted, that’s one less bullet fired. This is the greatest heroic act that a Jew can do - to save another Jew."
A Community in Mourning
The funeral service at Chabad of Bondi on Wednesday was heavily guarded, with police stationed along the street throughout the day. It followed the burial of another victim of the shooting, Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Rabbi Gutnick acknowledged the sombre atmosphere, noting the memorial was "not normal" given the series of funerals to come.
He urged the community to follow Mr Morrison's example: "Just as Reuven got up and faced the darkness head-first, we have to get up and face the darkness head-first. We have to look at our enemies straight in the eye." Among the mourners was Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff, whose 20-year-old son, Leibel, was seriously injured while saving a police officer's life at the same attack.
Eyewitness Account of a Hero's Death
A close friend of Mr Morrison, identified only as Vladimir, provided a harrowing eyewitness account. He explained he had just left the Hanukkah event to move his car when the shooting started. "I saw everything and now my best friend is dead. He died in front of me," Vladimir said emotionally.
He described seeing Mr Morrison trying to direct people to safety and move towards the shooter on the ground to disarm him. "But then he was shot - hit in the kidneys, I think. I was there when he died," Vladimir recounted. He hailed his friend as a hero who died trying to save his community, adding poignantly, "If only I didn't leave earlier, he might be still alive."
Following the attack, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police. His 24-year-old son, Naveed, remains under police guard in hospital recovering from bullet wounds and is expected to face criminal charges.
