In a powerful display of community and remembrance, hundreds of swimmers gathered at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach at sunrise to pay tribute to the victims of a devastating attack.
A Solemn Gathering at Dawn
On the morning of Wednesday, 16th December 2025, members of two local swim clubs, the Great White Swim Club and the Bondi Fairy Penguins, organised a poignant event. It was held in honour of the 15 people who lost their lives during an attack on a Jewish community event the previous Sunday, and in solidarity with the wider Jewish community.
The gathering began with a minute's silence observed on the sand, before participants paddled out into the ocean to form a vast, human circle in the water. For many, it was their first time returning to the water since the horrific events unfolded just days earlier.
Community Shows Up in Force
Sarah Davies, a committee member of the Bondi Fairy Penguins, stated the groups felt organising the event was 'the right thing to do', especially for members who had been caught up in Sunday's attack. 'We felt that it was important for the community to come together and also for us to show support to people who were affected … particularly the Jewish community,' she said.
The turnout surpassed expectations. As the sun rose, a steady stream of people in swimwear filed quietly down the beach. Eventually, hundreds formed a circle several rows deep on the shore, linking arms, lowering their heads in reflection, and exchanging hugs before running into the surf.
Emotions Run High
Lulu Cooper, organiser of the Great White Swim Club, expressed the complex feelings surrounding the event. She described it as feeling 'unnecessary because [the attack] was preventable' but also profoundly necessary. 'Because we need to be here for the people who have been the victims of the attack … and for our community who are in pain and who are angry and who feel a whole lot of emotions right now,' Cooper explained.
Minutes later, the spray from the enormous, moving human circle in the water was visible from the shore. As swimmers filtered back to land, many reflected on the attack's impact and came to thank first responders, including local lifesavers.
Scars of the Attack Remain
The gathering commenced outside the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, which remained inside a police cordon. Piled-up sandals, shoes, and towels left behind in the panic on Sunday were still visible inside the taped-off area, which was expected to be lifted later that Wednesday afternoon.
Senta Hoyne, whose friends were among the first responders, recounted being on her way to a Christmas function when the attack unfolded. 'I was in my car and I saw what was happening on the bridge and saw people running and I just turned my car around and blocked the road to make sure no one else was coming down,' she said.
Lachlan Benson, another club member, described the swim as powerful. He expressed gratitude for the volunteers on patrol that day, calling them 'some of the best people you'll ever meet … They're volunteers but they're huge professionals.' It is now known that some of those who died did so while confronting the alleged attackers, and two police officers were hospitalised with serious injuries.
Looking for Solace and Facing Reality
Before the minute's silence, Mick Ormsby of the Bondi Fairy Penguins gave a speech paying tribute to the victims and the 'utter courage and light and love … the service [of] first responders, police, the lifeguards, the volunteers from the clubs, the members of the public.'
Ormsby, a Bondi local, reflected that it was too early to know the lasting impact of the attack on the beach community. 'Being in the water is quite soothing and nourishing … it offers momentary comfort,' he said. 'But the reality is still here and that's what we're all trying to come to grips with.'
