As the sun dipped below the horizon at Bondi Beach on the final night of Hanukkah, candles were lit one after another, their glow reflecting softly across one of Australia’s most iconic shorelines.

On Sunday evening, thousands gathered at the beach to remember the victims of a deadly shooting that had taken place a week earlier. The attack targeted Jewish families who were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, leaving 15 people dead and sending shockwaves across the country.

At exactly 6:47 p.m., the moment when gunfire erupted during the attack, the crowd fell into complete silence. That stillness was later broken by loud applause for Chaya Dadon, a teenage survivor who was injured while trying to shield younger children from harm. Attendees also joined together to sing Waltzing Matilda, often regarded as Australia’s unofficial national anthem. The song carried special meaning that night, as it shared its name with the youngest victim of the shooting, a 10-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short.

Standing before the crowd, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns reflected on the significance of the gathering. He described the beach as beautiful that evening and emphasized that the return of so many people just seven days after the attack sent a powerful message of resilience and defiance. In his words, the community was making it clear that fear would not drive them away.

The memorial marked the end of what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier described as the darkest week Australia had faced in recent memory. While the prime minister attended the ceremony, he did not deliver remarks. The announcement of his presence was met with mixed reactions, including boos from some in the crowd, reflecting frustration toward his government. Critics have argued that authorities failed to take sufficient action against rising antisemitism prior to the Dec. 14 attack, in which two gunmen opened fire on a large gathering. Investigators later said the attackers were driven by the antisemitic ideology of the Islamic State group.

In the days following the shooting, Australians have grappled with shock and anger, while also expressing solidarity with the country’s relatively small Jewish population. Many have emphasized a shared determination to ensure that the tragedy does not alter Australia’s open and inclusive way of life.

Chaya Dadon, 14, appeared onstage using crutches, having been shot in the leg during the attack. Speaking with composure beyond her years, she told the crowd that the nation was growing stronger through adversity. She acknowledged that growth can be painful but insisted it was necessary. Drawing on Jewish teachings, she encouraged people to become a light in moments of darkness, explaining that this belief had driven her to leave a safe place and run toward danger to protect other children.

She recalled that she did not feel fear at the time, but instead felt a clear sense of purpose, believing she was fulfilling a mission.

Although grief united much of the country, disagreements over the underlying causes of the attack have begun to surface. Authorities identified the suspects as a man who had immigrated from India and was killed by police, and his Australian-born son.

Elsewhere on Sunday, several hundred protesters gathered at a separate location, blaming what they described as weak immigration policies for the violence. The rally, held at a park far from Bondi Beach under the slogan “Put Australia First,” included calls for Prime Minister Albanese to resign. The turnout was smaller than previous anti-immigration demonstrations, which have drawn crowds in the tens of thousands, and proceeded despite appeals from Premier Minns to postpone the event.

He had warned ahead of time that such a protest was ill-timed, given the national mood.

The attack has now sparked a broader political discussion about immigration, security, and social cohesion. Like countries such as Britain and Canada, Australia experienced a sharp rise in immigration after pandemic restrictions were lifted, fueling resentment among some who link newcomers to increasing living costs.

At the rally, Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister and current lawmaker affiliated with the anti-immigration One Nation party, told attendees that he believed the government had ample warning signs that an incident like this could occur. Among the protesters, one woman held a sign claiming that immigration was destroying Australian culture and endangering Jewish communities.

Earlier in the day, Bondi Beach was also the site of a separate vigil organized by Jewish women dressed in white. That gathering highlighted Australia’s long history of providing refuge to Jews fleeing persecution, even before the Holocaust. Addressing the crowd, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, whose role is intended to remain above partisan politics, urged Australians to honor the memory of the youngest victim by choosing unity over division.

She said the child’s life should inspire collective healing and reaffirm a commitment to protecting all families, ensuring that fear and hatred do not tear the nation apart.

Lisa Pillemer, who attended the morning vigil, spoke about her frustration prior to the attack over what she viewed as insufficient attention to threats against Jewish communities. She pointed to more than a year of arson incidents and antisemitic graffiti targeting synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses.

Following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, Australia has seen a rise in antisemitic language and acts of vandalism. Still, Ms. Pillemer said she felt a sense of cautious optimism as she watched people from diverse backgrounds come to pay their respects at the memorial site. She described seeing groups such as rugby players laying flowers, which she viewed as a sign of broader support and understanding.

As the evening ceremony drew to a close, the father of young Matilda stepped onto the stage to light the eighth and final candle on a large menorah. Light rain began to fall, settling gently over the crowd as the flames flickered against the darkening sky.