Linda Royal from Australia on JM in the AM

So for us it's Kaneka. Things are relatively normal and uh we always have an amazing musical celebration on the first day of Kaneka here at JM and the A.M. But our brothers and sisters in Australia, as you can imagine, are grieving to a degree that we can't even comprehend. Uh we all heard the news early Sunday morning here in the New York, New Jersey area. Everybody's aware of what happened. And uh Barack Hashem, we have a friend in Australia who's literally there uh Linda Royal who ironically uh when she has last appeared on JM and the AM, it was to discuss the anti-semitism that is plaguing Australia. Not that it's not in other parts of the world. We're all familiar with that. But Australia in particular has been a uh target of the anti-semites. And if you look at what happened at the uh celebration Sunday in Australia, um who would ever have imagined that the community would be going through what they're going through? Linda Royal, I regret that it's under these circumstances, but I am saying to you, happy Kanuka and welcome back to JM in the AM. >> Thank you very much. Um, it's very hard to have light in the darkness. Um, we're all trying really hard, but it's uh it's a it's a really tough time here for us. Um, >> tell me about Sunday first of all, just for a perspective for those listening around the world. I mean, this is where it happened is a is a pretty robust Jewish community. Would that be accurate? >> Yeah. So, it's um it happened down at Bondi Beach, which is an iconic landmark in Australia and around the world. In fact, I've even written it into my second book, because it was a haven for refugees. Um, real estate was cheap in Bondi. Um, so a lot of the refugees and and the Holocaust survivors settled down there and Bondi Beach became their place to meet and greet to um to meet their future husbands and wives. Um, in fact, the steps of Bondi Beach are still called and were called in my day the you know the second the next generation Little Jerusalem. And you'd say you'd go oh we'll go and meet you at Little Jerusalem steps. >> Wow. Um, and so it was a safe haven and a place for us now, my generation and my children's generation, to to relax, to to do yoga, to walk on the beach, to swim, to meditate, to beach volleyball. Um, so it was Hanuka by the Sea, which was advertised by the Kabad of Bondi. >> And I do remind everybody that I mean, you're in the middle of the the the summer in in Australia, right? >> Where you beautiful day, >> right? It was like 85° and 5 6:00 in the afternoon and um the sun didn't wasn't going to set till I think the Hanukkah lighting was at 7:00 p.m. and at uh 10 to 7 mayhem broke out. >> Yeah. >> And obviously uh I mean we we know just based on the sheer numbers and the personalities that we've been uh introduced to through this tragedy, obviously the entire community has been affect. I mean there there's nobody who's not in mourning uh for somebody that they were related to that they knew etc etc. I'm sure there's still plenty of people who are uh injured who are being taken care of in hospitals or at home. What update you can you give us regarding that uh and the um the mourning that's going on in the community? And then you mentioned to me that literally because now it's it's um it's Monday night in Australia. you indicated to me that that literally just minutes ago you got home from a memorial that took place there. >> Well, there's a constant memorial because it's been set up. So you know the bunches of flowers have been um laid in a big circle um with the Israeli flag and Australian flag and kanukias have been placed there and candles like I guess yachts like candles type you know little >> burning candles and um big police presence um all the media are down there all the TV stations constantly you know politicians coming and going rabbis coming and going um yeah >> you had uh spoken to us about anti-semitism in Australia this past summer both on a community level those who you know one must fear are are extreme and could take actions like this uh where you described to us that it could turn violent and then you also spoke about on the political level so what are what are your feelings when you see these public officials come now to memorialize the victims >> um I won't say what we all feel like doing to our politicians. I mean, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, is nowhere to be seen. She hasn't even surfaced. Albanesei, our prime minister, took 3 hours to make a halfway decent statement. The first one that was released was absolutely pathetic. It made no mention of Kanuka. The fact that it was a Jewish event um or that it was um likely a terrorist attack, nothing. Um and then he came out with a statement three hours post um and obviously the spin doctors had been on and you know >> given given him his script um which was appropriate. He then went and laid a bunch of flowers this morning and most of us really wanted to throw up because it was like I mean you're such a hypocrite. We told you, Israel's been telling you, intelligence has been telling you that this is not a possibility, but a probability. And too little, too late. 16 people are dead. Um, there are 27 still hospitalized in critical condition. Um, they range from 10 years old to an 87year-old Holocaust survivor. Um uh there was a guy who was in the October 7 attacks and survived um who uh got a bullet wound, but he's he's going to be okay. Um it's it's just incredible. >> It may sound superfluous to even ask you this, but uh do you have direct contact with uh with any of the victims? I mean, I obviously, like I said, everybody in the community, you know, knows everybody and certainly feels the grief and mourning, but uh any direct um uh relatives or friends that uh were victims in this attack? >> My next door neighbor was standing next to his rabbi when his rabbi was murdered. >> Um and he has uh three or four friends in the waiting to be buried. Um, so that cuz he's Russian, so that community is just devastated. Um, we were with our best friends last night and their son was on security, Jewish security duty down there. Um, so he narrowly missed being um, a target. Um, everyone knows somebody who was there who just got out the way in time or >> who um, you know, had a gunshot wound or I mean, yeah, it's it's and it's 5 minutes from where I live now. We have helicopters circling the suburbs. Um, it's it's like being in a sci-fi movie. They're looking for terrorists in the bushes or, you know, who knows what they're looking for. Linda Royal is with us from from Sydney, Australia. Correct. >> Yeah. >> From Sydney, Australia. Five minutes from where this happened on Sunday night. What did they say about this pair? Uh we we've learned that it was a father and son duo that carried out this uh this Targeting Jews terror attack. >> Yeah. 50-year-old father who's now deceased, eliminated. 24 year old son whose mother came out in the media today. I don't know if you've heard that report and said he's actually a good boy. >> So if he's a >> she's making a tough >> argument. I'd like to know what a bad boy Yeah. I'd like to know what a bad boy does. If a good boy goes out and um >> and uh shoots down >> and there's a and not not that this is obviously the story, but it's certainly one of the things that caught our attention on the other side of the world. this video of the um of the good Samaritan who took down the one of the terrorists. Uh do we know about his background? It seems to be an issue out there. Do we know anything about him? >> Point of contention. I've been told that today that he was a Marinite Christian. Um who obviously they they love Israel and love the Jews. Uh but um then I was told that he was a Syrian Muslim who had not seen his parents for 20 years and his parents have just come out and haven't been here that long. Um I don't care what he is. He's a hero. >> Y >> he's saved countless lives. No doubt. I mean what an incredible act. >> Tell me about the community now. Um I I mean uh you know as you just described earlier, you were at the memorial. Uh one could only imagine what community and synagogue life is going to be uh over the next few weeks and months. >> Very tight security. I mean, you know, the cops have promised high presence, increased presence. Um I think unfortunately it, you know, it takes dead Jews for anyone to sit up and notice. >> Yeah. Um, I I I really don't know. I mean, I've just been in Israel. I was there for Yamipur, which was incredible, the week before the hostages were released, and I said to my husband, um, you know, I I think we need to buy a place here. Honestly, I I feel more more at home here than anywhere. I came back to Australia and just felt numb really after what we've been through. Um, everyone thought it had sort of calmed down a bit. So maybe our guard was down, but there was still uh Jewish communal security who had cordoned off the area and tried to, you know, make sure that it was a safe area. But you can't really stop um snipers on a bridge with hunting rifles with long range capability. >> Yeah. Um, you guys know you have uh shootouts all the time, but for us it's, you know, it's an anomaly. We don't normally have this happen. >> Yeah. No, I get it. Um, it seems like the uh every one of these victims is um is really being borne by the entire community. I mean, the the rabbi that we keep hearing about, the Kabad emissary, who obviously had a tremendous impact on the community, it seems. >> Yeah. >> That goes without saying, but it seems everybody is uh >> is uh representative of a very tight-knit community and one where everybody knows each other and one where unfortunately the mourning and suffering is going to go on for quite a while. >> Yeah. Look, this community, I mean, this this area of Sydney, um, has the largest Jewish population in the Southern Hemisphere. >> Wow. >> So, it's massive. Um, but we are a small community. We don't, you know, we only number in the tens of thousands. It's not like uh New York. >> Oh, understood. >> Um, so that's the thing. We are, everybody knows somebody and uh we all grief together. Well, we felt we had to reach out and I know that uh because it's already for you it's really late because you haven't slept since this all started. Uh so I know >> it was very hard to sleep last night. >> No, I can only imagine. I know you stayed up specifically just to speak to us on this Monday night in Australia. I'll take this opportunity again because I guess you know as we keep being reminded by everybody around the world in including Jewish leadership in Australia uh the light will continue to shine and it'll be a happy Kanuka despite all this uh tremendous uh grief and terror and mourning that's going on and that many of us are feeling. Obviously not to the degree that you guys are in Australia but uh you know how the Jewish family is, Linda. I don't have to tell you. You know how interrelated we always feel. Oh, for sure. We all grieve together and we we feel the love from around the world. And I have to say the Australian Jewish community and non-Jewish community have been incredible. The media for the first time in 2 years um have not been biased. They've been reporting honestly and respectfully, incredibly respectfully. >> So, it's it's really has been a breath of fresh air. So, >> yeah. And as you said, we know what it takes to get to that point, >> unfortunately. >> Yeah. Unfortunately, >> uh, God bless you. Stay safe. Our best regards to everybody down in Sydney. And we're all thinking of you. And of course, as I said earlier, a happy Kaneka. I hope it'll be a, uh, a Kaneka of some light for everybody there. >> Thank you. And the same to all of you as well. Um, yeah, we hope for a little bit of light. We, we all lit our candles and we all said our prayers and and, you know, we move on. >> 100%. Linda Royal from Sydney, Australia, literally five minutes from the site of Sunday night's attack by these two monsters. Father and son. Imagine that. This was their activity. It's a Sunday and a father and son want to go embark on some adventure, some activity, something that they could do together. And this is what they chose. Amazing. um and our uh and of course we continue to um to focus on our brothers and sisters in Australia. And um I actually wanted to speak to Linda obviously later in the show. I mean this audience builds every single morning but um she and probably everybody else in the community is completely exhausted and it's getting uh late on a Monday night. So she was gracious enough to give us a few minutes uh before um getting some rest. Monday night in Australia, JM in the AM. It is a um it is a an unusual first day of Kanuka because we have this incredible holiday that we've been looking forward to for all this time. And family and friends and children of all ages love Kanuka and love every aspect of it. And many of us had kanuka gatherings yesterday with family and friends already last night and some will be doing it this week and some on Saturday night and some on Sunday night of next week. But then of course uh we had this incredible tragedy. Terrible episode that has uh really hit the heart the collective heart of the Jewish people in a very very strong way. Unbelievable. Uh our hearts are with uh the Jewish community in Sydney, Australia. Um on this uh Monday, first day of Kanuka here at JM in the AM. More coming up. We are going to get back into our Kaneka celebration mode. That's what we always do, the first day of Kaneka. And I and I know that this is something that um that we as uh a Jewish people and certainly our Jewish leadership, our religious leadership continues to uh to emphasize and to encourage. The light will shine and will shine bright even with this terrible attack on Bondi Beach in Australia and the way it has affected the Jewish community of Sydney, the Jewish community of Australia and uh the Jewish community around the world. My thanks again to Linda Royal for joining us. You're listening to a Monday first day of Kanuka here at JM in the AM.