We are mourning the lives taken by the antisemitic attack on a Hanukkah gathering in Australia. The gathering at Bondi Beach was supposed to be a day of joy, advertised as an event adjacent to a playground, with face painting, ice cream, and games for children. Instead, it became the site of unspeakable violence targeting Jews.

On this first night of and through every night of Hanukkah, Jews across the world will recount this horror, casting a shadow over our own celebrations. No one should be made to feel afraid as they practice their Jewish traditions.

We will be checking in on loved ones. And dreaming of a world where we and people of all faiths and backgrounds, can live in safety and prosperity.

But we must not only dream of that world. We must continue to confront antisemitism with action. Action free from political agendas and the influence of those who use fear and pain to fuel more hate. Action instead driven by the ways we know we can end antisemitism.

We are moved by the heroism and solidarity of those who helped each other during the monstrous attack, including reports of a fruit vendor named Ahmed al-Ahmed who was shot while successfully disarming one of the shooters. Together, we can help to keep each other safe.

We must confront and disassemble antisemitism at its roots. And we must do so with the urgency to match its clear and imminent threat to our Jewish community and all communities targeted by hate and extremism.