The family of Matilda, the 10-year-old girl who was the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach shooting, laid her to rest on Thursday with a plea for the community to honor her memory with love, not rage.
Matilda was among 15 people killed when gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration last Sunday. At her funeral in Sydney, mourners—including Governor-General Sam Mostyn and NSW Premier Chris Minns—wore bee brooches and stickers in tribute to the child who adored them.
Her aunt, Lina Chernykh, told the BBC that while she shares the Jewish community’s desire for stronger action against antisemitism, she urged people to channel their grief toward Matilda’s spirit of joy.
“Take your anger and… just spread happiness and love and memory for my lovely niece,” Chernykh said. “I hope maybe she’s an angel now. Maybe she [will] send some good vibes to the world.”
Matilda’s parents, Ukrainian refugees who found safety in Australia, named her after the song “Waltzing Matilda” as a tribute to their adopted country. Premier Minns echoed that sentiment in a poem read at the service: “She’s waltzing with the angels.”
The funeral took place amid ongoing soul-searching within Australia’s Jewish community, where some leaders have called the tragedy a foreseeable result of rising antisemitism that has not been adequately addressed.
By James Kisoo
