Thousands gather to hear Waltzing Matilda rendition for 10-year-old Bondi victim
One month on from the terror attack, thousands converged at Bondi Pavilion for the final daily vigil, shining lights to commemorate the 15 victims who were killed.
Thousands raised their torches to the sky in a unified display of grief, love, and support for the 15 victims of the Bondi massacre for the final daily vigil at Bondi.
A rainy Sunday night marked the end of “shloshim” – the 30-day Jewish mourning period, which saw Bondi Pavilion awash with crowds who came clad in raincoats and clutching umbrellas, undeterred by the rain.
Thousands gathered at Bondi Pavilion and turned on their phone torches as performers dedicated a rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” to the youngest victim of the terror attack.Credit: Bondi Remembers
The audience fell into a hushed silence as performers sang a special rendition of Waltzing Matilda dedicated to ten-year-old Matilda, the youngest of the victims who died after being shot at Bondi on December 14.
“Once the little bright girl, laid by the ocean shore, under the shade of the tall pine tree. And she sang, and she laughed with the dancing flames of Hanukkah, you’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,” the performer sang.
“Up in the night sky, a smile is shining bright as day, here on the fields of flowers and dreams. If you listen close you’ll hear the buzzing of a bumblebee, you’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.”
Performers sang songs in Hebrew – and also one dedicated to 10-year-old Matilda at the January 11 final daily Bondi attack vigil.Credit: Bondi Remembers
Matilda’s father Michael, mother Valya, and little sister Summer attended, and in their speech described Matilda as a “typical 10-year-old girl who loved to laugh, dance, and sing”.
Since the first day after the attack, Rabbi Yossi Friedman has held vigils at Bondi Pavilion three times a day at 7.30am, 1pm, and 7:30pm. He prefers calling the 15 who were shot dead heroes, rather than victims because “many of them did not die running away from the bullets, but actually running towards the bullets and covering others.”
