After enduring the unimaginable brutality of Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust and later rebuilding his life in Australia, 87-year-old Alex Kleytman met a tragic end in the terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Kleytman was attending a Hanukkah celebration with his family when the attack unfolded, and he was killed while attempting to shield his wife from gunfire as terrorists opened fire on the Jewish gathering.
On Sunday afternoon, what began as a peaceful Hanukkah celebration turned into a scene of terror. Larisa Kleytman, herself a survivor of the Holocaust, was at Bondi Beach with her family when gunshots suddenly rang out. As chaos erupted, she turned to see her husband, Alex Kleytman, collapse after placing himself between her and the bullets, sacrificing his life in an effort to protect her.
Alex Kleytman had come to the beach with his wife, their children, and their grandchildren to mark the festival. He was among the 15 people killed in the attack. Born a Ukrainian Jew, Kleytman had survived the Holocaust under extremely harsh conditions, including periods spent in Serbia and Siberia while fleeing Nazi persecution. Having escaped the horrors of Hitler’s regime decades earlier, he ultimately fell victim to a modern-day terror attack, allegedly carried out by individuals targeting Jews. One of the attackers had previously been under scrutiny by Australian authorities for suspected links to the Islamic State.
Speaking to the Sydney-based daily The Australian, Larisa Kleytman, who had been married to Alex for 50 years, said she believed he was shot because he deliberately raised himself to shield her from the gunfire. Her account underscored the final, selfless act of a man who had already endured immense suffering earlier in life.
The victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack represented a wide cross-section of people. Among the dead were a 10-year-old girl, a young French traveller exploring the world, and a rabbi who had recently shared messages about celebrating with joy. According to officials, interviews, and local media reports, two terrorists—a father-and-son pair of alleged Pakistani origin—carried out the shooting spree, deliberately targeting Jews gathered for the Hanukkah celebration.
Approximately 40 people were injured in the attack, including two police officers and four children, and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Police confirmed that the victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old, with Alex Kleytman being the oldest among those killed. The older of the two attackers, a 50-year-old man, was shot dead by police at the scene.
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy highlighted the deep symbolism and tragedy of Kleytman’s death. He noted that much of Australia’s Jewish community was founded by Holocaust survivors who had fled to the farthest corners of the world in search of safety. Levy said that Alexander Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor who had come to Australia to escape persecution, was murdered in an anti-Semitic terror attack while trying to protect his wife.
According to Chabad and local media, Alex Kleytman had been attending the Hanukkah event with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Chabad, a global Jewish organisation dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity and community ties, confirmed the family’s presence at the celebration. News agency Reuters also reported that the Kleytman couple had previously shared their Holocaust experiences with JewishCare, a community health and social care organisation.
In JewishCare’s 2022–2023 annual report, Alex had recounted haunting memories of surviving in Siberia under Hitler’s regime, where he struggled to stay alive alongside his mother and younger brother in extremely harsh conditions. Despite the lasting scars of those experiences, Alex and Larisa sought to rebuild their lives and pursue a safer, more hopeful future. Their journey eventually led them to Australia after periods of displacement in Europe.
JewishCare described how both Larisa and Alexander had endured unspeakable terror as children during the Holocaust. Alex’s recollections were especially harrowing, detailing the deprivation and constant fear that marked his early life. Yet, those experiences did not break their resolve to create a new life filled with family and community.
Speaking outside St Vincent’s Hospital after the attack, Larisa Kleytman described the terrifying moments when the shooting began. She said that people fell to the ground as shots rang out, and that her husband moved closer to her, pushing his body up to stay near her and protect her as the danger intensified.
Chabad later confirmed on X that Alex Kleytman was survived by two children and 11 grandchildren. As she waited outside the hospital, Larisa’s words reflected the depth of her loss and confusion. She said she no longer had her husband, did not know where his body was, and had received no clear answers in the immediate aftermath.
The terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, which claimed at least 15 lives and left dozens injured during a Hanukkah celebration, has raised serious questions about Australia’s security and intelligence systems. Critics have pointed to failures in monitoring extremist threats, especially given that one of the alleged attackers had previously been flagged for possible Islamic State links. Eyewitnesses also alleged delays in police response during the shooting, claiming officers were immobilised for several minutes before acting. These issues have intensified scrutiny over preparedness, intelligence oversight, and the broader rise in anti-Semitic violence, with the death of a Holocaust survivor shielding his wife standing as a stark and tragic symbol of the attack’s impact.
