All,
As you know, I usually try to keep Berlin’s Wall light. And in a way, this one is still about light — light amid darkness.
Most of you have likely read about the horrific shooting at Bondi Beach, Australia, which took place on the first night of Hanukkah — the literal Festival of Light.
More than 16 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl and an 87-year-old man, and dozens more were injured.
But amid that darkness, there were moments of light.
Many of us have seen the heroic actions of Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Muslim refugee from Syria who emigrated to Australia years ago and built a new life there. When he saw the gunman, Ahmed charged him, wrestled him to the ground, and was shot in the process.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/14/world/video/bondi-gunman-tackle-digvid
What you may not have seen is the equally courageous act by Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Jewish couple originally from Russia who had also made Australia their home. When Boris, 69, saw the gunman step out of his car with a weapon, he didn’t run. He attacked. Sofia was right there with him. They became the first two victims of the massacre.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/16/world/video/dashcam-bondi-beach-couple-ripley-digvid
One man Muslim. One man Jewish.
Different histories. Different faiths. Same instinct. To step forward. To do the right thing. Even when the odds were overwhelming.
This isn’t about Muslims or Jews. It’s about good people — of all faiths and backgrounds — choosing courage over fear.
Also, please keep in mind that both men were immigrants — people who came to a new country, built lives, raised families, and in a moment of crisis showed extraordinary moral clarity.
There are never easy answers to the hard questions this world keeps throwing at us. But these actions — and the paths that led these people to that moment — are worth holding onto as a reminder of what light really looks like. And, hopefully, that helps give each of us the courage to do the right thing and to find the best way forward whenever it’s our time as well.
-Jim Berlin