On the first night of Hanukkah, members of Berkeley Chabad gathered at Sather Gate to light the menorah and honor victims of the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Roughly 100 students, faculty and community members filled the space beneath the campus arcades for an outdoor vigil that blended traditional songs and prayers with open mourning. The message was straightforward and hard to miss: grief for lives lost abroad, and a firm resolve to keep Jewish life visible on campus.
Campus vigil at Sather Gate
The Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center organized the first night ceremony at Sather Gate, where attendees kindled the menorah, sang traditional Jewish songs and recited verses from the Torah. Organizers said UCPD maintained a heightened presence, with three officers standing nearby and campus vehicles circulating through adjacent streets. The scene was part holiday celebration, part security operation, as reported by The Daily Californian.
University leaders and student response
Benjamin Hermalin, UC Berkeley’s executive vice chancellor and provost, attended the gathering and read a letter from Chancellor Rich Lyons that condemned antisemitism and offered campus support. Rabbi Gil Leeds told the crowd the community was "shocked ... at the massacre in Sydney where the unspeakable happened" and urged those present not to retreat in fear. Student leaders, including Jewish Student Union president Joseph Karlan and members of Alpha Epsilon Pi, described the night as an attempt to bring light into a bleak moment and to stand visibly as Jews on campus, according to The Daily Californian.
Bondi Beach attack: what officials say
Australian authorities have described the Bondi Beach shooting as a terrorist attack that killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens more, with police saying two men, reported to be a father and son, opened fire from a pedestrian bridge over the park. Investigators have recovered suspected explosive devices and multiple firearms at the scene, and the assault has triggered calls for tighter firearms rules and a coordinated national response. Those details and official statements have been reported by Reuters.
Campus resilience and next steps
Organizers said the vigil was carefully designed to balance celebration and mourning, a public sign that Berkeley’s Jewish community intends to remain present and active on campus despite fear and grief. Attendees were encouraged to lean on campus support services and to check in on friends, while administrators pledged to keep monitoring safety and communicating as the situation abroad evolves. As the crowd dispersed, the menorah’s flame remained small, steady and unmistakably visible, a quiet final statement against those who would try to intimidate the community.
