SYDNEY — In the first full day of opening since a mass shooting driven by antisemitism killed 15 people at Australia’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, thousands of people returned to the waterfront Friday to commemorate the losses and try to heal through a sense of community.<\/p>\n
In a hastily organized event, people gathered shoulder to shoulder on Bondi\u2019s pristine crescent of sand and then formed an enormous circle in the ocean in an expression of solidarity among Sydney\u2019s residents and support for the Jewish community. <\/p>\n
Police reopened parts of the beach Thursday, sparking a return to one of the country’s beloved landmarks five days after two shooters attacked a Hanukkah celebration<\/a> at a park near the shore, killing 15 people.<\/p>\n With questions emerging about whether Australian Jews were sufficiently protected from the threat of attack, and fears of a backlash against Muslims, armed police officers stood guard outside synagogues and mosques in Sydney on Friday. <\/p>\n Strangers embraced and wept during the morning commemoration. Some people stood in prayer near fluttering remains of crime scene tape and the shoes abandoned as people fled the horror of the shooting. Those who joined the circle in the ocean observed a minute\u2019s silence for the dead, the wounded and those who rushed into danger to save them. <\/p>\n Life also began returning to normal on the sand and boardwalk, where people jogged, walked dogs and sipped coffee as the hum of everyday life at Bondi Beach<\/a>. <\/p>\n In a country where mass shootings are rare and most people pride themselves on an ability to get along, Australians have been stricken and bewildered by the attack. Many looked to cope as they always have, by rising at dawn, donning swimsuits, grabbing surfboards and making their way to the beach. <\/p>\n Some of the beachgoers expressed a fervent wish that Australia\u2019s relaxed and friendly way of life would continue undisturbed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve grown up here my whole life,\u201d 22-year-old swimmer Jack Hobbs said. \u201cToday was a reminder of the amazing people where we live and what this community\u2019s built on.\u201d<\/p>\n In the days after the attack, Australians have celebrated those who helped in the aftermath or threw themselves into harm’s way to save lives. In a land repeatedly tested by wildfires, floods and other natural disasters, resilience is forged through pulling together in tough times. <\/p>\n Many have embraced the stories of heroism that emerged after the shooting. <\/p>\n