‘I was holding her’: Shattered father reveals Matilda’s final moments as more families share tributes

• Follow our live coverage of the Bondi shooting here

The father of the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach massacre has spoken in heartbreaking detail about the last moments of his daughter’s life.

Matilda, 10, was among 15 people killed on Sunday during the attack, which took place on the first night of Hanukkah and targeted the Jewish community. Another 40 wounded were rushed to hospitals - 15 people are still being treated, four of whom are in critical condition.

Matilda, whose surname has been withheld at the family’s request, was marking the first day of Hanukkah by eating cakes and playing with animals when the shots were fired.

Parents Michael and Valya spoke at the vigil at Bondi Beach on Tuesday night before returning to the memorial set up to pay tribute to the victims.

“I saw her go down and I crawled to her and took my shirt off and wrapped it around her,” he said. “She was telling me it was hard to breathe. I was holding her.”

Thanking bystanders and first responders who tried to save Matilda’s life, Michael said doctors, a paramedic and a policeman “were doing everything, everything” they could to save the girl.

Matilda’s funeral was held in Sydney on Thursday. Another victim, Reuven Morrison, is due to be laid to rest in Melbourne on Thursday. They follow Wednesday’s funerals for Eli Schlanger, 41, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan.

All fifteen victims have been publicly identified. This is what we know about them.

Boris Tetleroyd

A loving father who was gunned down along with his son was identified on Wednesday as the 13th fatality of the attack.

Boris Tetleroyd and his son were both at Bondi Beach when the shooters opened fire. Tetleroyd did not survive his injuries, while his son is recovering in hospital.

A fundraiser set up by Tetleroyd’s niece said the family had been left grieving the “sudden and violent” loss of Tetleroyd, who was the primary provider for his wife.

Social media posts show Tetleroyd as a lover of Australian nature, often sharing photographs of animals he encountered on bushwalks.

The family provided a statement to the Herald that they asked to be used in full. Read it below.

Boris and Sofia Gurman

Boris and Sofia Gurman, two North Bondi locals, were walking along Campbell Parade on Sunday afternoon as Sajid Akram emerged from behind the IS flag on his hatchback.

Dashcam footage from a passing motorist shows Boris, 69, did not hesitate as Akram opened his car door, tackling him onto the road of one of Sydney’s busiest beach boulevards, disarming the 50-year-old and forcing the rifle from his hands.

As others hid behind a bus stop, Boris picked up Akram’s rifle, aiming it at his assailant as other cars drove by, drivers seemingly unaware of the carnage that was about to unfold. But Akram charged at Boris before picking up another rifle.

The pair were executed at close range. Boris and Sofia died in each other’s arms. They were married for 34 years.

The family said in a statement that while nothing would lessen the pain of their loss, “we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness”.

“This encapsulates who Boris and Sofia were – people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others. We are deeply grateful for the love, compassion and support that has been shown to our family during this unimaginable time.”

The pair were deeply devoted to their family.

“They lived honest, hardworking lives and treated everyone with care and respect,” the Gurman family said.

Boris was a retired mechanic and Sofia worked for Australia Post for the past five years.

Reuven Morrison

Morrison, 62, was killed attempting to protect his community from the two gunmen, despite being unarmed and alone as he charged towards them.

His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, identified her father as the man seen in footage hurling an object at gunman Sajid Akram after Akram was disarmed by Ahmed Al Ahmed.

“From my sources and understanding, he had jumped up the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks … he was screaming at the terrorist, and protecting his community, he was shot dead,” Gutnick told CBS News.

“If there was one way for him to go on this Earth, it would be fighting a terrorist. There was no other way he would be taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved most.”

Asked what Gutnick thought when she saw the footage of her father, she said: “That’s him. That’s my dad. As I called him, my Tati, in Yiddish.

“Everyone [who] knew him knew the incredible man that was just too big for this world. The light that he added, his absolute immense and endless generosity, his sense of humour. He was just the most incredible person.”

Morrison, whose funeral is due to be held in Melbourne on Thursday, was a member of the Chabad community and a businessman who came from the Soviet Union before he “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney”, Chabad posted on X.

He divided his time between Sydney and Melbourne, where he lived with his wife and daughter.

Chavi Block, who sheltered from the gunman with her six-month-old baby, and knew several of those killed, said Morrison was a ba’al Chesed – which means a man of great kindness.

“He would give so much charity. If anyone needed any help, they could go to him and they would give help without even questioning,” she said.

Edith Brutman

Edith Brutman attended the Chanukah By the Sea event at Bondi Beach where she was killed on Sunday night, and has been remembered as a “gracious”, “devoted”, and “passionate” member of the Jewish community.

Brutman was the vice president of an anti-prejudice and anti-discrimination committee at B’nai B’rith NSW – the NSW branch of the international Jewish community service organisation.

Ernie Friedlander, the president of the Alfred Dreyfus committee, worked closely alongside her and described her as a “good, caring human being”.

“She was a very clever lady, and she was very, very passionate about dealing with prejudice and discrimination. She was always there, and she had very strong opinions.”

B’nai B’rith confirmed Brutman’s death in a message to its members on Tuesday morning.

“Former vice president of ADU and long-time member of Aviv, Edith Brutman, was killed in the massacre. She was a gracious woman and a devoted member of B’nai B’rith NSW,” the statement said.

“We are all horrified at the tragic events that took place at the Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday night.

“We mourn all those whose lives have been brutally taken and hold those who have been injured in our thoughts. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones whose lives have been forever changed.”

Marika Pogany

Marika Pogany is being remembered as a beautiful mother, grandmother, and steadfast friend.

She came to Australia in 1968 from Czechoslovakia with her son Romy and brother Ivan, becoming a citizen in 1972.

“She embraced her life as an Aussie from that point on. She was very proud of her country,” her family said in a statement released by police on Thursday.

“She brought joy and energy into every room and found her greatest happiness surrounded by her adoring family.”

She was a dedicated volunteer and a beloved member of Sydney’s Jewish community.

The 82-year-old was an avid member of the Sydney COA, a volunteer service for Jewish seniors, and was previously awarded the Jewish Communal Appeal’s Mensch Award for delivering more than 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels since the late 1990s.

Sydney COA described her as a “truly remarkable and wonderful woman”, and said they were “shattered by her loss”.

“For 29 years, she arrived at COA with her quiet smile and her steady kindness. She lifted the room simply by being in it. She asked for nothing and gave everything. She showed us what true service looks like, and she did it without fanfare and without ever wanting attention.”

The Woollahra organisation said she contributed thousands of hours “not because she had to, but because caring was who she was”.

“Marika showed us how people should be cared for. She delivered kosher Meals on Wheels every week and somehow still made herself available on other days when someone needed help. If a client was struggling, she went. If an extra hand was needed, she went. She never let anyone feel alone.

“She took the time to know every person on her route. She chatted. She listened. She noticed the small things. She changed lightbulbs, literally bringing light into people’s homes. Her joy and spirit carried people through their week and through their loneliness.”

Friends of Pogany remembered her as a wonderful friend for many decades, and one of the most beautiful people they knew. She was also a 20-year member of the Harbourview Bridge Club in Rose Bay.

“She was a terrific person, excellent bridge player, and an even better friend. Incredibly loyal. I knew her for 40 years,” Harbourview Bridge Club director Matt Mullamphy said.

Matilda

The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, whose surname has been withheld at the request of the family.

Matilda’s aunt, Lina, said she was struggling to come to terms with her niece’s death. She and other members of her family initially thought the 10-year-old would survive her gunshot injuries.

“I started to scream, ‘I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it’,” she said. “I’m still kind of hoping it’s not true, but it seems like it’s true.”

Lina described Matilda as a “happy, bright” girl. “She’d always kiss me, cuddle me and give me the energy … to be happy,” she said.

“I will never see her smile again, only in my photographs.”

The family knew several of the dead and injured victims, Lina said.

Matilda’s language teacher, Irina Goodhew, launched a GoFundMe page for the family, writing: “I knew her as a bright, joyful and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”

La Perouse Public said the school community was devastated by the loss of “our little ray of sunshine”.

“Matilda has an incredible gift for bringing joy to those around her,” the school said in a Facebook post, saying she was deeply respected by staff and students alike.

“We all have so many beautiful memories of her – from choreographing dances on the playground to K-Pop Demon Hunters, losing her glasses that were actually on her head, to facing her fears and bravely presenting her speech in front of her classmates, Matilda has a strength and joy for life that we will always cherish and remember.”

Dan Elkayam

French national Dan Elkayam, whose killing was reported by French President Emmanuel Macron, was remembered as a star soccer player and popular figure.

The IT analyst for NBC Universal grew up in Le Bourget, a suburb of Paris, and had been living in Australia for several years.

He lived with his girlfriend in Sydney’s east.

“He was beginning to build his future in Australia, a country he loved,” his family said in a statement released by police on Thursday.

“Dan loved life – fully and intensely,” his family said.

“He was pure joy – a beautiful and humble soul.”

“To say that Dan will be missed is not enough. He was a person who truly wanted to do good in the world, to share his love of life and his sense of adventure with everyone around him.”

Football was “one of Dan’s greatest passions”. He played for teams in France and Australia, and at the 2022 Maccabiah Games, an international multi-sport event for Israeli citizens and Jewish people from around the world.

His teammates at Rockdale Ilinden Football Club said he was “an extremely talented and popular figure” on the Premier League 1 team.

“To say we are shocked would be an understatement,” said Dennis Loether, the club’s president.

“Football was his passion, together with spending time on the beach and socialising with friends … He loved the Australian way of life.

“Those who were closest to him described him as a down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky individual who was warmly embraced by those he met,” Loether said. “His smiling face and respectful nature will be sorely missed by his teammates and everyone that knew him. We pray for him and for his family.”

Eli Schlanger

Eli Schlanger, 41, was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, husband to Chaya, and father of five, the youngest a newborn boy. He was the first to be publicly identified and his was the first funeral held.

The British-born Schlanger danced with joy and defiance in a video he posted to X during Hanukkah last year, telling his followers that it was the best way to fight antisemitism.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane described Schlanger as “a beautiful man and a great leader”.

Rabbi Schapiro of Chabad North Shore said Schlanger was the first rabbi in Sydney to fly to Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack.

“He was one of the most effective rabbis in Sydney and was fully committed to caring and helping people grow,” Schapiro said.

“The message he would want everyone in the community to know is that we cannot allow this hate to continue without light and we must ask everyone to do something in a positive way.

“Whether it be volunteering or simply lighting a Hanukkah candle, it’s the message he would have.”

Schlanger is also being remembered for his work with Corrective Services NSW after joining as a chaplain in 2022.

Corrective Services NSW commissioner Gary McCahon said Schlanger was a valued member of the organisation who devoted his time to supporting others with compassion and dignity.

Block said Schlanger “was just a lover of humanity and peace for the world”.

Yaakov Levitan

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (a rabbinic court) and worked at the BINA Centre of Jewish learning. His funeral was held on Wednesday.

On Sunday at the Bondi Beach event, he was handing out tefillin – two small black boxes containing Torah scrolls typically worn by Jewish men on their arms and head during morning prayers, Chabad-affiliated news website Anash.org reported.

Block, who knew Levitan through her father, his good friend, said he was “the biggest do-gooder, helper, if you needed anything done you could go to him”.

“These are three massive losses for the Jewish community, but specifically for the Chabad community,” she said of Morrison, Schlanger and Levitan.

Schapiro described his close friend as “always a bright light and never cowered”.

“It’s hard for me to even breathe when I think about him … we are absolutely devastated he is gone,” Schapiro said.

He said Levitan’s wife was at Chabad North Shore synagogue in St Ives when news of the shooting began trickling through.

“As soon as we heard [Yaakov] was in hospital she broke down in tears and ran to the hospital, but sadly he didn’t make it.”

Peter Meagher

Peter Meagher was a cherished brother, husband and uncle whose kindness, generosity and love touched everyone who knew him, his family said in a statement.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and the community,” they said.

Randwick Rugby Club earlier paid tribute to the retired police detective sergeant and rugby union player known as Marzo.

“Peter was working as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event,” Mark Harrison, club general manager wrote in a message to members. “[F]or him, it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time.”

“The tragic irony that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a police officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend,” Harrison wrote.

Steve Keys, remembering his friend of 30 years, said Marzo was always a lovely man with “mountains of friends”.

“Peter not only served our country upholding our safety and laws. He actively gave back to society through his love of our sport, giving tirelessly,” Keys wrote on Facebook.

“What better way to live your life than practising something you love,” Keys said. “Rest in Peace ‘Marzo’ – we all love you and will miss you greatly. We are devastated.”

Alex Kleytman

Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor and native of Ukraine, had attended the event with his wife, Larisa Kleytman.

Speaking outside St Vincent’s Hospital, she said, “I have no husband. I don’t know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer.”

A statement from his family released by police on Thursday said Kleytman carried with him “a lifetime of extraordinary stories of resilience, survival, and unexpected luck”.

He was a civil engineer at Transfield and John Holland before retiring aged 76, having worked on Sydney’s Olympic stadium, desalination plant and various highways.

“He was very valued at his work, and we received many emails and photographs from his colleagues during these dark times,” his family said.

“He cherished Australia, the Australian way of life, the freedom, democracy, people, all of it.”

His family said Kleytman died doing what he loved most.

“Protecting Larisa, standing proudly as a Jew, and celebrating the Festival of Lights.

“He’s survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.”

Kleytman’s funeral was held on Thursday in Sydney.

Tibor Weitzen

Tibor Weitzen, a 78-year-old grandfather and proud family man, was attending the Chanukah By the Sea event with his wife Eva when he was killed.

Weitzen’s grandson-in-law, Mendy Amzalak, recalled spending the afternoon with Tibor in the hours before the shooting.

“I don’t live too far from the beach [and] when we heard shots firing, I came running down from the house with a defibrillator and was helping the people in front of me,” Amzalak said.

“As more and more first responders arrived, I went over to look for Tibor. It was the most horrific sight any family member could ever see – I have not been able to close my eyes since.

“It’s something I won’t ever be able to forget.”

Weitzen was born in 1947 in the former Soviet Union before migrating to Israel, then to Australia in the late 1980s.

He is being remembered as a beloved and cherished member of the Bondi Shul and the Russian Jewish community, bringing joy to everyone he met – especially the children at the Bondi Shul.

“In every Shul, there’s someone called the ‘lolly man’ whose job is to keep the kids quiet by giving them lollies so as not to disrupt the sermons,” Amzalak said. “In the Bondi Shul, that was Tibor.”

Amzalak said he would be remembered for the light he brought to others.

“My wife’s pregnant and to think my second child won’t meet their grandfather is heartbreaking.”

Weitzen’s funeral was held on Thursday.

Adam Smyth

Father-of-four Adam Smyth, 50, was identified as a victim of the shooting on Thursday.

In a statement issued by NSW Police, Smyth’s family said he was walking at Bondi Beach with his wife Katrina when the couple found themselves in the midst of Sunday’s “horrifying and devastating attack”.

His family was “trying to come to terms with the senseless shooting”, the statement said.

“No words can describe the pain of our loss.”

“Adam and Katrina were living their best lives together. Their shared love of family and friends, travel and sport – if not always the same team – made their time together truly special.”

The statement said Smyth’s other loves in life were “his English Premier League football team Liverpool, his AFL team the Sydney Swans, the NRL’s Manly Sea Eagles, and his beloved pets”.

“We will forever cherish the time we have had with him. Adam was a generous and kind person who will be dearly missed and is forever irreplaceable.

“You’ll never walk alone (YNWA),” the statement said, referencing Liverpool FC’s iconic anthem.

Tania Tretiak

Eastern suburbs grandmother Tania Tretiak, 68, has been confirmed as the 15th victim of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Tretiak, of Randwick, was attending the Hanukkah event with family when the deadly shooting broke out on Sunday night.

Dozens injured

Forty-two patients were transported or presented to several Sydney hospitals. Two of these patients died of their injuries.

On Saturday, 15 patients were still in hospital receiving care for their injuries.

• One patient is in a stable condition at Prince of Wales Hospital
• One patient is in a critical but stable condition, and one patient is in a stable condition at St George Hospital
• Three patients are in a critical but stable condition, and one patient is stable, at St Vincent’s Hospital
• Five patients are stable at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
• Three patients are in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital

Schapiro said Sunday’s shooting is being felt across Sydney’s Jewish community, with everyone seemingly “knowing someone either directly or indirectly” who has been affected.

Schapiro’s nephew, Leibel Lazaroff, was among those seriously injured during the attack. He remains in a coma in hospital in a stable condition. Lazaroff, aged 20, had only recently arrived in Sydney as a student from his home in Texas.

“His parents are devastated and in shock, and they’re flying to Sydney to be by his bedside,” Schapiro said. “It’s affected us all.”

With Nicole Precel and Jonathan Drennan