For Heaven's Sake – "Bondi Beach"

Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Donniel Hartman & Yossi Klein Halevi
Presented by: Shalom Hartman Institute & Ark Media

Episode Overview

In this deeply reflective episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the devastating impact of the recent terrorist attack against the Australian Jewish community at Bondi Beach. Rather than reducing the entire Australian Jewish experience to a story of victimhood, they celebrate its vibrancy and resilience, using the tragedy as a lens to explore themes of antisemitism, Diaspora vulnerability, Jewish identity, Zionism, and the continuing value of global Jewry. The conversation, candid and heartfelt, moves between mourning, rage, philosophical distinctions, and communal hope.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Identity of the Australian Jewish Community

(00:10–05:12)

• Danger of Shrinking Identity: Donniel cautions against defining the Australian Jewish community solely by the tragedy, emphasizing its decades of creativity and vitality.
  • "You shrink an experience of 120,000 people in a life to that attack." — Donniel Hartman [00:10]
• Unique Qualities: Celebrates Australian Jewry's deep Zionist attachment, thriving day schools, and joyful public Jewish life, despite being smaller and less resource-rich than North American communities.
• Model Community: Yossi notes the community’s unique blend: rooted in survivor experiences yet confident, integrated Australians.

2. Historical Roots and Vibrancy

(06:15–10:19)

• Post-Holocaust Infusion: Yossi recounts the Holocaust survivors’ influence—Sydney with Hungarian Jews, Melbourne with Poles—and the resulting communal strength.
  • "There’s no other Jewish community that has a proportionally larger percentage of survivor families than Australia." — Yossi Klein Halevi [07:37]
• Subsequent Newcomers: South African and Russian Jewry further reinforce Australian Jewish life.
• Longstanding Presence: Australia’s Jews go back to the first convict ships, reflecting deep national roots.

3. Emotional Responses to the Bondi Attack

Rage and Its Source
(10:33–14:22)

• Yossi’s Rage: Not directed at the attacker, but toward those who demonized Israel and created an atmosphere where Jews are dehumanized:
  • "I felt rage toward all of those who over the last two years have turned Israel and its Jewish supporters... into criminals..." — Yossi Klein Halevi [10:51]
• Language and Legitimacy: Donniel agrees, emphasizing how poisonous rhetoric gives extremists the “5% of courage” needed for violence.

Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism
(14:08–17:33)

• The Debate: Is anti-Zionism the same as antisemitism? They agree the distinction is less important than the deadly consequences.
  • "What you’re really saying, Donniel, is that the whole conversation... is irrelevant because the consequences are as deadly as if it were intentional antisemitism." — Yossi Klein Halevi [14:08]
• Maintaining Nuance: Donniel insists it still matters whether someone is truly an antisemite, yet the effect is equally dangerous.

4. Mourning, Vulnerability, and Sadness

(17:33–23:06)

• Donniel’s Sadness: Expresses deep mourning for communal suffering and for the realization that Jewish vulnerability is again a global norm:
  • "I felt a deep sadness that this is now a normative part of Jewish life... But there’s people who want to kill us. That factor is a part of our life." — Donniel Hartman [18:13]
• Diaspora Perspective: For Diaspora Jews, the belief in immunity from violence has now been shattered.

5. The End of Diaspora Immunity

(23:06–26:40)

• Post-Holocaust Immunity Over: Yossi traces how Western European and Latin American Jewry lost their physical immunity earlier, but until now, English-speaking communities (US, UK, Australia) mostly did not see themselves as at risk.
  • "The post Holocaust era is now definitively over." — Yossi Klein Halevi [00:30], reiterated [23:07]
• The “Australia Exception” Ended: The fact that such an attack occurred in Australia is profoundly unsettling for world Jewry.

6. To Stay or To Leave? Jewish Futures in the Diaspora

(26:40–33:24)

• The Dilemma: In the aftermath, some ask if it is time to leave—an existential question for many Jews worldwide.
  • "Is it possible really for us to continue having the Jewish life that we had until now? And maybe it’s over. In Australia." — Yossi Klein Halevi [25:02]
• Donniel’s View: Acknowledges the legitimacy of the question but stresses the high cost of leaving behind rich communities.
  • "There’s a price to the option of leaving that only the person in the community itself, who knows the gift that they’ve created, knows." — Donniel Hartman [29:25]

7. Jewish Dignity, Safety, and the Israeli Option

(30:41–35:53)

• Physical vs. Psychological Security: Yossi contrasts Diaspora dependency on others for safety with the “dignity” of Jewish self-protection in Israel, despite greater physical risk.
  • "We may be the most insecure physically, but we are actually the strongest Jewish community in the world psychologically." — Yossi Klein Halevi [32:37]
• The Value of World Jewry: Both stress the immense enrichment Diaspora communities give to Judaism, refusing to reduce vibrant Diaspora life to tragedy alone.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "You shrink an experience of 120,000 people in a life to that attack."
  — Donniel Hartman [00:10]

• "There’s no other Jewish community that has a proportionally larger percentage of survivor families than Australia."
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [07:37]

• "I felt rage toward all of those who... turned Israel and its Jewish supporters... into criminals..."
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [10:51]

• "It's not about whether the person is an antisemite... What are you creating?"
  — Donniel Hartman [12:27]

• "Is anti-Zionism the same as antisemitism? The consequences are as deadly as if it were intentional antisemitism."
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [14:08]

• "Sadness for the Australian Jewish community that I know... My people are suffering."
  — Donniel Hartman [18:13]

• "The post Holocaust era is now definitively over."
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [23:07]

• "Is it possible really for us to continue having the Jewish life that we had until now?"
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [25:02]

• "There’s a price to the option of leaving that only the person in the community itself... knows."
  — Donniel Hartman [29:25]

• "We may be the most insecure physically, but we are actually the strongest Jewish community in the world psychologically."
  — Yossi Klein Halevi [32:37]

Notable Moments & Exchanges

• Warmth and Humor: The hosts’ banter offers emotional relief throughout, e.g., Donniel’s self-deprecating comments about his wife favoring Yossi’s views [14:30].
• Tribute to Past Hostility: Donniel channels his father’s distaste for reducing Jews to victims for outsiders’ emotional consumption [29:20].
• Dual Loyalty to Diaspora & Israel: Both articulate their love for Israel but also the value and beauty of vibrant Jewish life elsewhere.

Important Timestamps for Key Topics

• Opening Reflections on Identity: [00:10–05:12]
• Australian Jewish History & Character: [06:15–10:19]
• Emotional Responses to the Attack: [10:33–17:33]
• Diaspora Vulnerability and the End of Immunity: [22:48–26:40]
• Is It Time to Leave? [26:40–29:25]
• Diaspora vs. Israel: Dignity and Security: [30:41–33:45]

Final Thoughts

• Both hosts conclude with solidarity and love for the Australian Jewish community and all worldwide Jews facing fear and adversity, while reaffirming the enduring richness and value of Diaspora Jewish life.
  • "To send love and an embrace to the Jewish community in Australia and to Jews all over the world who are grieving and wounded and afraid." — Yossi Klein Halevi [35:53]

This episode is a powerful meditation on grief, resilience, and Jewish continuity, reminding us not to define communities by their tragedies but by their enduring achievements and their hope.