Alex Dafner on the Massacre at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

Happy Hanukkah ! אַ פֿרײלעכן חנוכּה

Our normally happy Hanukkah programming was overshaddowed by the horrific massacre of Jews at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia's Bondi Beach. We spoke with Alex Dafner, Australia's main Yiddish radio presenter the past 40 years and a leading Yiddish and Jewish cultural activist and teacher based in Melbourne, about the horrible massacre and about the situation of Australian Jewry in general. Also heard are short excerpts from the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was murdered in the massacre. Alex Dafner is host of the Kadimah Yiddish Show, a radio show and podcast produced by Melbourne's J-Air Jewish radio station. To listen to the live show and podcasts, go to their website: https://www.j-air.com.au/kadimah-yiddish-show-2/ Follow Alex on social media at Twitter/X: @AlexDafner or Facebook: facebook.com/YiddishRadio. We reached Alex Dafner via Zoom at his home in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the evening, Boston time, and Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the morning, Melbourne time.

Music for Hanukkah:

• Cantor Pierre Pinchik (פּינחס פּינטשיק): Maoz Tsur (מעוז צור)
• Cantor Sidor Belarsky: Haneros Halolu

Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS from Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: December 17, 2025