STORY: Hundreds of mourners gathered in a Bondi synagogue for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger on Wednesday (December 17), a few blocks away from the beach where he was gunned down at a Hanukkah festival three days ago.

Schlanger was killed at the "Chanukah by the Sea" event organised by his Chabad of Bondi where he was an assistant rabbi. Fifteen people were killed in the mass shooting allegedly carried out by a father and son carrying rifles.

Schlanger, 41, recently became a father for the fifth time. He was born in Britain but had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years.

The crowd of mourners spilled outside the synagogue. Dozens who could not get a seat gathered at the front of the venue and watched the funeral's livestream on their phones

New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns, who has backed calls for tougher gun laws, federal opposition leader Sussan Ley and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison were at the funeral. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not at the service and said earlier on Wednesday that he would attend funerals if he was invited.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM MOURNERS / FUNERAL PROCESSION / AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS ENTERING FUNERAL / PEOPLE HUGGING AND ENTERING FUNERAL

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF DRUMMER MARCHING DURING FUNERAL PROCESSION OF RABBI ELI SCHLANGER

2. VARIOUS OF MOURNERS FOLLOWING HEARSE

3. VARIOUS OF MOURNERS CHANTING

4. OFFICERS, MOURNERS LOOKING ON

5. MOURNERS TAKING PART IN FUNERAL PROCESSION

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 44-YEAR-OLD ELI (LEFT) SAYING:

“His daughter is in my daughter's class in school. We had to explain to her yesterday that her friend's dad, he's no longer with us, no longer coming home. This is, this is not this isn't a not a normal situation. I don't think people understand that we have terrorism on our doorstep.”

43-YEAR-OLD SCHMUEL BASSIN (RIGHT), SAYING: “A war zone at Bondi beach.”

ELI SAYING: “And now suddenly everyone's reacting. It's not this is not a normal situation. This has been going on for 20 years, 30 years, all the around the world, now it's in Bondi.”

7. HEARSE OUTSIDE CHABAD OF BONDI

8. PALLBEARERS MOVING SCHLANGER’S COFFIN OUT OF HEARSE

9. MAN CRYING

10. MOURNERS STANDING AROUND COFFIN

11. VARIOUS OF MOURNERS ENTERING SYNAGOGUE

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 44-YEAR-OLD STAN GOL, SAYING:

“He just wanted to bring light to this community. He was proudly Jewish. He just had fifth child just weeks ago. And now his wife is a widow. And we are tremendously sad at the loss of such a great member, a pillar of our community. So it's devastating.”

13. VARIOUS OF FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER, SCOTT MORRISON, SPEAKING TO MOURNERS OUTSIDE SYNAGOGUE

14. OPPOSITION LEADER SUSAN LEY OUTSIDE SYNAGOGUE

15. LEY WALKING UP STEPS

16. CROWD GATHERING OUTSIDE SYNAGOGUE

17. POLICE VEHICLE BARRICADING STREET

18. PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET

19. POLICE VEHICLE BARRICADING STREET

20. POLICE OFFICERS SPEAKING

21. PEOPLE WALKING ALONG STREET LINED WITH BARRICADES