A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a French citizen. These are the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting

By Helen Regan, Sandi Sidhu, CNN

(CNN) — A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a young French national were among at least 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire on families celebrating the first night of Hanukkah at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, an attack that police have declared a terrorist incident.

Those killed in Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years are yet to officially be identified, but their families and friends are paying tribute to those they have lost.

New South Wales premier Chris Minns said the victims are aged between 10 and 87 years old.

Here’s what we know about them.

Matilda

Matilda, 10, was described by her aunt as a “very sweet, happy child, with a beautiful smile.”

She was enjoying the festivities at Bondi Beach with her parents, younger sister and friends, when the two gunmen opened fire. Matilda was wounded in the shooting and rushed to hospital, where doctors fought unsuccessfully to save her.

“Kids are supposed to be happy. They should be playing on the beach, not thinking about bullets flying around,” said her aunt Lina, who did not wish to share the family’s surname.

Matilda’s language teacher described her as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.” The teacher, Irina Goodhew, launched a GoFund Me page on behalf of Matilda’s family.

The family had moved from Ukraine to Australia in the 1990s, and enjoyed walks on the beach, picnics in the park and walks to the zoo, Lina said.

The Harmony Russian School of Sydney said Matilda was a former student in a statement posted on Facebook. “We honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family,” the post said.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, organized the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach and served as assistant rabbi at the Chabad of Bondi, the Jewish organization said in a statement.

“Schlanger was a devoted rabbi and chaplain,” Chabad said, adding that he worked tirelessly “to support Jewish life in the Bondi community.”

Born in London, Schlanger studied in France before being ordained as a rabbi in Brooklyn, New York City, the organization said.

Schlanger also served as a community chaplain in hospitals and prisons, “working tirelessly to bring warmth, faith, and Jewish pride to everyone he encountered,” a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad and dedicated to Schlanger said.

Schlanger’s cousin Rabbi Zalman Lewis described him as “truly an incredible guy,” in a Facebook post. “He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings.”

The rabbi was a father of five, whose youngest son was only born in October, Chabad confirmed.

“Schlanger will be laid to rest in Sydney,” it added.

Alex Kleytman

Alex Kleytman, 87, was a Holocaust survivor who died while shielding his wife Larisa from one of the gunmen’s bullets, according to the Jewish organization Chabad.

He is being remembered as a man “whose life was defined by resilience and family.” A native of Ukraine, Kleytman leaves behind his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren, Chabad added.

CNN affiliate 9News reported that Kleytman had survived the Holocaust with his mother and younger brother in Siberia before he and his wife, migrated to Australia from Ukraine. They had been married for nearly 60 years.

“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” his wife Larissa said, according to Chabad.

Dan Elkayam

French national Dan Elkayam, 27, was also among those killed.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Elkayam had gathered on Bondi Beach with other members of the Jewish community to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. “France will spare no effort to root out antisemitism wherever it emerges and to combat terrorism in all its forms,” he said on X.

Elkayam was a football fan and played for Rockdale Ilinden FC’s Premier League 1 team. His club described him as “an extremely talented and popular figure” and said he would be missed.

Juniors President Peter Doncevski told CNN the club was supporting Elkayam’s girlfriend, who survives him.

Elkayam had recently moved from France to Australia and had been providing technical support to global media company NBC Universal in Sydney since last December, according to his LinkedIn page.

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was a “profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” according to a crowdfunding page endorsed by Chabad.

A husband and father, Levitan was the “cornerstone of his family,” the page said, calling him a “a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others.”

As well as serving as general manager at the Chabad of Bondi, he was also a secretary at the Sydney Beth Din, which Chabad describes as a Jewish court of law. Levitan was a “key figure” in educational initiatives at BINA, a Jewish center of learning, according to the crowdfunding page.

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Levitan was described by Chabad as “a vital, behind-the-scenes pillar of Sydney’s Jewish infrastructure.”

He is survived by his wife and four children between the ages of six and 16, Chabad said.

Reuven Morrison

Reuven Morrison, 62, was a businessman, philanthropist and a longtime resident of Melbourne, Chabad said.

When the attack unfolded, Morrison appeared to try and “distract the terrorists by making himself a bigger target, allowing others to flee,” according to Chabad.

Morrison was originally from the former Soviet Union and had come to Australia in the 1970s “seeking a safe environment far away from the persecution he had experienced,” the organization added.

He was remembered as being “known for his kindness and generosity” whose “main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart,” Chabad said.

Morrison leaves behind a wife, daughter, and grandchildren it added.

Peter Meagher

Peter Meagher, a former NSW detective and rugby club member, was also killed in the shootings, Randwick DRUFC confirmed.

“’Marzo’ as he was universally known, was a much-loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby,” the club said.

Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event at the time of the attack.

He had served in the police force for almost 40 years and retired as a Detective Sergeant.

“The tragic irony is 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,” Randwick DRUFC said.

Tibor Weitzen

Tibor Weitzen, 78, is being remembered as a “sweet grandpa” who “loved life.”

Weitzen’s granddaughter told CNN affiliate 9News the family is “shattered” by his death. “Just devastating. Honestly, I’ve got no words,” she reportedly said.

Weitzen was a member of Bondi’s Chabad Synagogue and was at the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach with his wife and grandchildren when gunmen started shooting, 9News reported.

Chabad described Weitzen as “the congregation’s beloved ‘candyman,’ who brought joy and smiles to everyone.” Weitzen, a great-grandfather, “died trying to shield a family friend, who also lost her life,” it added.

Marika Pogány

Marika Pogány, an 82-year-old Slovak citizen, was fatally shot while attending Sunday’s Hanukkah event, 9News reported.

Pogány was a close family friend of Slovakia’s former President Zuzana Čaputová who, in a post on The Slovak Jewish Associations’ Facebook page on Monday, said only Pogány’s mother and uncle came back from Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

“Sydney was a safe haven for her, away from fascism and communism,” Čaputová said of her late friend.

Čaputová described Pogány as an “extraordinary woman who lived her life to the fullest.”

Pogány was a dedicated volunteer and won several awards for her years of service in the Jewish community. In 2022, she received an award for delivering 12,000 kosher Meals on Wheels over the course of more than two decades.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Hilary Whiteman contributed reporting.