03/09/2026
Honoured and privileged to be joining the New Horizons Mental Health Hub, Bondi Junction, in collaboration with PHN, in a rabbinical support role under the auspices of Jewish House, offering pastoral, emotional and spiritual support alongside the professional mental health team.
In the aftermath of the tragic events at Bondi Beach, there has understandably been a great deal of focus on the Jewish community. But this was also an event that affected Australians from every background and every walk of life.
Many people witnessed it, followed it closely, knew someone connected to it, or simply felt the shock of something so confronting happening in our own city. The impact of trauma is not always immediate or obvious. Sometimes it emerges later, in ways we may not yet recognise.
That is why this period needs to be about healing, and about being genuinely in touch with where each of us is at.
We do not need to wait until we are overwhelmed before reaching out. Sometimes it is anxiety, sadness, anger, exhaustion, difficulty concentrating or disrupted sleep. Sometimes it is simply the feeling that we are not quite ourselves.
The New Horizons Mental Health Hub is open to all Australians, from all backgrounds and communities, subject to referral and assessment. It is a private, warm and welcoming space, with professionals available to listen, talk and help people access the support they may need.
I will also be available throughout the week in my rabbinical support role, and I encourage anyone who feels they could benefit from a conversation, whether with me or with one of the professionals at the Hub, to check in.
Healing begins by recognising where we are, not where we think we should be.
This is a time to look out for one another, across communities, across backgrounds and across Australia, and to make sure that nobody feels they have to carry what they are experiencing alone.
