OF A FAMILY FRIEND KILLED IN THAT SHOOTING. TONIGHT’S EVENT AT THE STATE CAPITOL WAS FULL OF MUSIC AND FOOD AND A CHANCE FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF SACRAMENTO TO REALLY COME TOGETHER. BUT THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION IS TAKING ON A DIFFERENT MEANING AFTER WHAT HAPPENED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. MAZELTOV, THE BARD OF SACRAMENTO, HOLDING ITS ANNUAL MENORAH LIGHTING. A TIME OF CELEBRATION FOR SACRAMENTO’S JEWISH COMMUNITY. I NOW, YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THESE LYRICS. TOGETHER WE WILL PUSH THE DARKNESS OUT OF THIS WORLD. BUT THE MESSAGE BEHIND THESE WORDS ARE CLEAR. THE GOOD WILL PREVAIL. AS DARK AS IT IS. ESPECIALLY IN OUR ONLY 24 HOURS AWAY WITH THE MASSACRE IN SYDNEY, RABBI MINDY COHEN, LEADING TONIGHT’S EVENT IN THE AFTERMATH OF SUNDAY’S TERROR ATTACK AT A HANUKKAH CELEBRATION IN AUSTRALIA HELD BY ONE OF HIS MENTORS. IT’S DEVASTATING BECAUSE I TRAVELED A LOT TO SYDNEY. I LEARNED A LOT WITH RABBI ULMAN. HE WAS MY HE’S MY MENTOR AND A FRIEND, AND I WAS TALKING TO HIM AN HOUR BEFORE THE SHOOTING, AND HE’D SOON FIND OUT THAT ONE OF THE 15 VICTIMS WAS ALSO A RABBI AND A FAMILY FRIEND. I HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE HE’S GONE. WE MOURN THE LIVES TAKEN AS JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD BEGIN TO MOURN. THERE’S FEAR, BUT I’M GLAD THAT I’M HERE. MANY SAY FEAR CANNOT HOLD THEM BACK. IF I CAN’T COME TO MY STATE’S CAPITAL IN LIGHT A MENORAH, IF I CAN’T GO TO A HANUKKAH PARTY ON A BEACH, WHAT’S THE POINT IN LIVING IF I CAN’T BE MYSELF? IF I DON’T HAVE FREEDOM TO PRACTICE MY RELIGION? YOU KNOW YOU DO WANT TO HIDE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU HIDE, THEN THEY WIN. WHICH IS WHY THE RABBI BELIEVES THIS YEAR’S MENORAH LIGHTING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE. AND THERE IS DARKNESS. YOU DON’T. COWARD. YOU’RE NOT AFRAID. YOU STAND UP AND DO MORE LIGHT. DO MORE KINDNESS. THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO COMBAT EVIL IN SACRAMENTO. CECIL HANNIBAL KCRA THREE NEWS. SACRAMENTO MAYOR KEVIN MCCARTHY WAS ONE OF TONIGHT’S SPEAKERS. ORGANIZERS SAY T
Sacramento rabbi mourns family friend killed in Bondi Beach massacre
Updated: 10:13 PM PST Dec 15, 2025
Sacramento’s Jewish community gathered at the state Capitol to mark the second night of Hanukkah, while mourning the lives lost in Sunday’s terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Australian authorities believe a father and son killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration, with the father killed at the scene and his son left in a coma. Police say the Jewish community was the intended target.Leading Jewish groups in the United States are urging all Jewish organizations to increase security at public events. Despite fears of anti-Semitic attacks, many in the Jewish community came together for a menorah lighting at the state Capitol on Monday.Rabbi Mendy Cohen, who leads Chabad of Sacramento, organized Monday’s event. Cohen said he’s spent time in Sydney, and one of his mentors is Rabbi Shternie Ulman, who founded the Chabad of Bondi.”I was talking to him an hour before the shooting, then I woke up Sunday morning to the horrible news,” Cohen said.Authorities have reported that at least 15 people were killed, one of the victims, according to NBC News, is Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the son-in-law of Rabbi Ulman and a family friend of Cohen.”These are the finest people. Rabbi Schlanger is full of light, full of life. He organized tens of soup kitchens; he built a beautiful synagogue,” Cohen said. “It’s hard to believe he’s gone.”As Jewish communities around the world begin to mourn, those who attended the menorah lighting at the state Capitol expressed their determination not to let fear hold them back. “There’s fear, but I’m glad that I’m here,” said Pearl Koven. “If I can’t come to my state’s capital and light a menorah, if I can’t go to a Hanukkah party on a beach, what’s the point in living if I can’t be myself, if I don’t have freedom to practice my religion?” Amaya McLaurin echoed this sentiment. “You know you do want to hide, but at the end of the day, if you hide, then they win,” McLaurin said.Cohen emphasized the importance of this year’s menorah lighting. “When there is darkness, you don’t cower, you stand up, do more light, do more kindness, that’s the only way to combat evil,” Cohen said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento’s Jewish community gathered at the state Capitol to mark the second night of Hanukkah, while mourning the lives lost in Sunday’s terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Australian authorities believe a father and son killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration, with the father killed at the scene and his son left in a coma. Police say the Jewish community was the intended target.
Leading Jewish groups in the United States are urging all Jewish organizations to increase security at public events. Despite fears of anti-Semitic attacks, many in the Jewish community came together for a menorah lighting at the state Capitol on Monday.
Rabbi Mendy Cohen, who leads Chabad of Sacramento, organized Monday’s event. Cohen said he’s spent time in Sydney, and one of his mentors is Rabbi Shternie Ulman, who founded the Chabad of Bondi.
“I was talking to him an hour before the shooting, then I woke up Sunday morning to the horrible news,” Cohen said.
Authorities have reported that at least 15 people were killed, one of the victims, according to NBC News, is Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the son-in-law of Rabbi Ulman and a family friend of Cohen.
“These are the finest people. Rabbi Schlanger is full of light, full of life. He organized tens of soup kitchens; he built a beautiful synagogue,” Cohen said. “It’s hard to believe he’s gone.”
As Jewish communities around the world begin to mourn, those who attended the menorah lighting at the state Capitol expressed their determination not to let fear hold them back.
“There’s fear, but I’m glad that I’m here,” said Pearl Koven. “If I can’t come to my state’s capital and light a menorah, if I can’t go to a Hanukkah party on a beach, what’s the point in living if I can’t be myself, if I don’t have freedom to practice my religion?”
Amaya McLaurin echoed this sentiment.
“You know you do want to hide, but at the end of the day, if you hide, then they win,” McLaurin said.
Cohen emphasized the importance of this year’s menorah lighting.
“When there is darkness, you don’t cower, you stand up, do more light, do more kindness, that’s the only way to combat evil,” Cohen said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel