Dallas rabbi mourns relative killed in Australia Hanukkah shooting as North Texas Jewish community grieves

Rabbi mourns family killed in Sydney Hanukkah shooting

Following a mass shooting at a Hanukkah festival in Sydney that killed 15 people, the North Texas Jewish community felt a deep personal connection after a Dallas rabbi learned a relative was among the victims, leading to heightened security at local celebrations.

DALLAS - A mass shooting at a Hanukkah festival in Sydney felt painfully close to home for North Texas’ Jewish community after a Dallas rabbi learned one of the victims was a relative, casting a shadow over local celebrations on Sunday night.

Worshippers gathered in North Dallas to light the first candle of Hanukkah, dancing and praying beneath a menorah as armed security stood guard. 

The violence overseas, which left at least 15 people dead, and more than three dozen hospitalized, added weight to a holiday centered on bringing light into darkness.

Connection to a global tragedy

Local perspective:

Rabbi Mendel Dubrawsky of Chabad of Dallas said the shooting became deeply personal upon learning that one of the young men killed was the son of his cousin.

Mendel Dubrawsky

"Our hearts go out," Dubrawsky said. "The young man whose life was snuffed away, his mom, is my cousin. So it’s very personal."

Dubrawsky said security is essential but should never diminish the community’s commitment to practicing its faith publicly.

"We don’t rely on miracles," he said. "There are people who hate it. But we want the world to see the light."

What they're saying:

As families gathered Sunday, armed officers monitored the crowd, a sight leaders say has become commonplace at local synagogues and Jewish events.

"It’s something we’re dealing with on a daily basis. You’re going to be walking past security officers. Gates have been built at more than one synagogue here in Dallas in the last two years," said Joel Schwitzer, regional director of the American Jewish Committee.

"Anytime one of these attacks happens to the Jewish community, no matter where it is in the world, we feel it here."

Heroism amid violence

Dig deeper:

Both Dubrawsky and Schwitzer expressed gratitude for a bystander in Sydney who tackled one of the attackers and pulled a gun from his hands.

"Oh, what a hero," Dubrawsky said. "What a selfless person. It’s absolutely incredible."

Schwitzer said he hopes the man’s bravery receives more attention than the attackers themselves.

"There needs to be more people amplifying the story of the Muslim man who saved lives," he said.

Light in darkness

What's next:

Despite the grief and heightened security, the community focused on the message of Hanukkah: that light perseveres.

"If you would ask the rabbis whose lives were taken what we should do," Dubrawsky said, "they would say that if there’s ever a time we celebrate light, it’s when there is darkness."