SAN DIEGO COUNTY (KGTV) — A mass shooting targeting the Jewish community at Bondi Beach in Australia, has reopened painful wounds for San Diego's Jewish community.
Rabbi Yisorel Goldstein, former rabbi of Chabad of Poway was shot during the 2019 Poway synagogue attack. He received devastating news early Sunday morning that his nephew, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was among those killed in the shooting in Sydney, Australia.
"I heard that my nephew was shot in the chest and they're trying to save his life. Heard about so many injuries. It was just very preliminary and our hearts were just sunk that how could this possibly happen," Goldstein said.
Schlanger, 40, leaves behind a family. Goldstein described his nephew as someone whose life was devoted to helping others.
"I saw a picture of him today 30 minutes before he was killed. He was praying with someone who at first didn't want to pray and inspired them, and they prayed together," Goldstein said.
The tragedy forced Goldstein to relive his own traumatic experience from April 2019, when a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway, killing one person and injuring three others, including Goldstein.
"I heard these harrowing sounds. I had no idea what it was. I thought the table fell over, then I look and I see this anti-Semite terrorist in our lobby with the AR-15 aiming at me," Goldstein said, standing in the same spot where the attack occurred.
The shooting left Goldstein with injuries to two of his fingers, but he considers himself fortunate to have survived.
Despite the pain, Goldstein says these attacks won't diminish his community's spirit.
"We need to be able to challenge that and darkness gets challenged only with light," Goldstein said.
The impact of the Australia shooting extends throughout San Diego's Jewish community. Rabbi Rafi Andrusier of Chabad of East County says no matter the distance, the attack hits home.
"We don't think of it as a distant community thousands of miles away as the Jewish people we're one people," Andrusier said.
Despite the tragedy occurring during Hanukkah, the community remains committed to celebrating the holiday.
"Jews around the world, we're still going to light the menorah. We're still going to bring that message of light and hope," Andrusier said.
Andrusier believes the most important thing they can do now is embrace the meaning of Hanukkah and find light in the darkness.
"We have to be stronger Jews, prouder Jews, wear our Judaism a badge of honor, and that's what we're doing," Andrusier said.
The Chabad of East County was expecting about 200 people for their Hanukkah celebration, demonstrating the community's resilience in the face of tragedy.
The Chabad of Poway will host a public menorah lighting at Mershops North County Mall.
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