A teenage girl who used her own body to protect younger children during a deadly shooting in Sydney has been nominated for one of Australia's highest honours.
An Act of Extraordinary Bravery
Chaya Dadon, who was 14 at the time, displayed immense courage during the horrific attack at the Chanukah by the Sea event in Bondi on December 14. When gunfire erupted, she placed herself between armed attackers and a group of younger children, acting as a human shield.
In an interview, she described a profound moment of conviction. "I knew in that moment, I felt like Hashem was sitting right next to me," she said, using a Hebrew name for God. "He was whispering into my ear, 'This is your mission: go save those kids'."
Shielding Children Under Fire
Acting on that impulse, Chaya left a place of safety, pulled the children away from danger, and jumped on top of them. She covered their small bodies with her own as bullets tore through the crowd. During the ordeal, she was shot in the thigh.
Despite her injury, she continued to shield the children, reciting the Shema, a central Jewish prayer. "I knew I got shot, but I wasn't even worried," she recalled. "I channelled all that energy that I had into strength and I made sure that I knew I had to be there for those kids."
Her resolve was absolute. "If I could give up my life saving these children, that's what I was going to do," she stated.
Recovery and Reflection
Her father eventually found the group and took her to get medical help. "When he found me, he told me this after, that I had the girl in this arm and the boy in this arm. And I was just kissing them," Chaya shared.
She spent four days in the Sydney Children's Hospital and returned home last month. She is now walking with crutches, which she has decorated with stickers commemorating some of those killed in the attack.
Remarkably humble, Chaya does not consider herself the sole hero of that day. "I don't feel like I'm a hero. I feel like everyone was a hero in that situation," said the teenager, who had attended the annual event with a friend.
She still does not know the identities of the children she shielded but hopes to connect with them again. Reflecting on the trauma, she believes it will ultimately strengthen the Jewish community. "Even if they can't see it now, everyone is going to grow stronger because I really feel like that situation, everyone was tested," Chaya said.
Her nomination for Australian of the Year recognises an act of selflessness that has captivated the nation.
