(WXYZ) — The recent attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, has deeply affected members of Metro Detroit's Jewish community, including those with personal ties to Australia.
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Rabbi Herschel Finman, co-director of Jewish Ferndale, has family members living in Australia, including his daughter. He also has a close friend and fellow rabbi who witnessed the attack.
"This, as you said, is a horrible tragedy, one in which adjectives are not qualifiers enough. We really can't describe how horrible it really is," Finman said.
He says his friend was traumatized by what he saw at Bondi Beach Sunday, where thousands gathered to celebrate the first night of Chanukah.
"As soon as the shooting started, people scattered, so he was able to run away. I know he was on the outside perimeter because he wasn't actively involved," Finman said.
Video from the scene shows a man stepping in to help by tackling one of the shooters and taking away his weapon. Officials say 15 people were killed, and among the victims are men, women, and young children.
The tragedy particularly resonates with West Bloomfield resident Emma Zerkel, who is not only Jewish but was also born near Bondi Beach in Sydney.
"Devastated, scared, heartbroken, it's very hard to process the consistent amount of hate towards the Jewish people," Zerkel said.
"I'm sixth-generation Australian, born right near Bondi Beach. That's always been a home in my mind, and someone destroyed that safety there," she said.
A majority of Zerkel's family still lives in that area. On Sunday, she woke up to numerous texts from them confirming they were safe.
Despite being saddened by the tragedy, Zerkel says she will not hide who she is or let hatred win as she continues to celebrate Chanukah.
"I shared a picture of my family lighting the menorah this year, because I wanted to show that yes, I'm broken-hearted, but I'm not broken, I'm still going to get up and do it... I'm still going to show the world that this who we are," Zerkel said.
Rabbi Finman says that's been the response of the Jewish community — resilience and hope — and he says that's what Chanukah is all about.
"The whole idea of Chanukah and the symbolism and the light, each candle is just a little light. There's not a lot of illumination there, but each candle pushes away a tremendous amount of darkness, and that's what we're going to be doing now," Finman said.
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