How To Pay Your Respects On The National Day Of Mourning For Bondi

Content warning: This article discusses violence in a way that may be distressing to some readers.

On January 22, Australia will pause to honour the 15 people we lost on what should have been a joyful first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. It’s our first national day of mourning since the Queen died in 2022, but this one feels completely different. That was ceremonial and to some extent expected. This is raw, and this happened here, on a beach where so many of us have laid out our towels and jumped into the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

If you're still carrying the weight of that night in your chest, you're not alone. Here’s how you can observe the day, support those affected, and look after yourself while you do it.

The Chabad Community in Bondi has chosen the theme for the day: “Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance.” Major buildings across NSW and Canberra are going to be lit up on Thursday evening as a visible reminder that we're still together and choosing light. There's also an installation called the 15 Pillars of Light happening across Australia, one pillar for each person we lost. Flags are flying at half-mast on government buildings all day, and other places are being encouraged to do the same. At 7pm, the Chabad of Bondi is holding a national memorial service. The event is invitation-only in person, but will be live-streamed on their YouTube channel. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns will both speak. In Melbourne, multifaith leaders are also gathering at St Paul's Cathedral for a vigil.

At 7:01pm AEDT, the government is encouraging the public to observe a minute of silence. All the major networks are pausing their broadcasts, but here’s the thing: you don’t need to be in front of a television to pay your respects. Wherever you are at 7:01pm, just stop. Put your phone down, close your laptop.

Australians are invited to leave a candle on their doorstep or window as a symbol of remembrance, mourning and solidarity with the Jewish community. Light it at whatever time works for you but it is encouraged that if you live with others to do it together.

A mitzvah is an act of kindness, compassion, and moral responsibility in Jewish tradition. Since the attack, Jewish faith leaders have been encouraging Australians of all backgrounds to perform mitzvahs as part of the One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign to honour those who can no longer perform acts of kindness themselves.

The federal government has suggested 15 mitzvahs for the 15 people lost in the attack:

1. Give to others – donate to organisations in service of others.
2. Uplift the sick – visit someone who is unwell and offer support.
3. Help those who have helped you – perform one small task to help your parent or older relative.
4. Open your home – offer hospitality to someone you may not have thought to.
5. Travel with care – help those needing transport, treat the roads and drivers with respect.
6. Prioritise family – spend the first hour of your evening dedicated to your family, screen-free.
7. Gratitude first – begin your day with thanks for the good things surrounding you.
8. Act with intent – reflect with a moment of silence to seek guidance and clarity before beginning a task.
9. Kindness to animals – ensure your pets are fed and cared for before you sit down to enjoy your own meal. 
10. Work with integrity – give the time you committed to the tasks you committed to. 
11. Warmth and positivity – greet people with a smile and take time to speak to others.
12. Cherish your partner and friend – remind those you love every day how grateful you are for all they do for you.
13. Prayer for healing – say a prayer for the complete physical and spiritual recovery for the victims of the Bondi massacre.
14. Teach children – read children stories that show them all the good in the world. 
15. Legacy of life – empower the next generation to carry forward not with loss but with hope.

You don’t have to tick off all 15; even doing one makes a difference.

Australians are encouraged to come together on Thursday, share a meal, and spend time with family and friends of all faiths and backgrounds. It doesn't need to be elaborate; simply ordering takeaway and coming together with one another is the point.

Messages can be shared online through the official Bondi Beach condolence book on the NSW government website.

Thursday, January 22 is not a public holiday. There is no formal requirement for events to be suspended. The federal government says organisations and businesses may wish to acknowledge the day if appropriate.

We wrote this after the attack happened, and we’re going to say it again: you didn’t have to be in Bondi for this to hurt. Collective trauma is real, vicarious trauma, the kind you get from watching footage or scrolling through updates, is real. There’s help available, and you’re allowed to use it.

The Community Support Hub at The Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach is open 10am to 4pm daily until Friday, January 30. The hub offers mental health and wellbeing services for everyone in the impacted community. Lifeline is also providing in-person support at the Bondi Pavilion until January 30, 10am to 4pm each day.

For young people aged 7 to 17, Safe Haven at Sydney Children's Hospital provides a calm, safe drop-in service for those experiencing psychological distress. Peer workers and mental health clinicians are available with no appointment needed. For the Jewish community specifically, call 1800 979 676 for 24/7 crisis response services, including psychological support, coordinated through Jewish House and Jewish Care mental health professionals.

Further Helplines:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

Since that night, something has shifted for everyone. It stopped the country in its tracks, and the shock rippled far beyond Bondi. And yet, in the days since, people have still found ways to come together, to show up, to check in, to stand alongside the families and the Jewish community, and to refuse the idea that this is what defines us. Through it all one thing has stayed true: hatred can strike, but it doesn’t get to win. Thursday is our chance as a nation to prove that again.