Council chairman Cllr Louise Mead spoke of the solidarity between Great Britain and Australia after the horrific event, which targeted innocent civilians during the Menorah lighting at Bondi Beach on Sunday.
The county’s faith leaders issued a joint statement about the attack, in which a rabbi who grew up in north London was one of 15 people killed, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor.
Cllr Mead said: “Very few countries, if any, have closer historical, cultural and familial ties than Great Britain and Australia. Australia may be thousands of miles away, but we are bound together by shared values and ancestry. The latest dreadful terrorist attack upon the innocent at the lighting of the Menorah on Bondi Beach will be deeply felt at home and abroad.
“Yet again, it is our Jewish friends and neighbours bearing further loss and deep pain. There is little anyone can say at such a time. But we can show our support through our actions. Christmas and the festival of Chanukah is the time to reach out. To stand together in friendship. To reject the hate and violence. To show our friends and neighbours at home and across the world the better side of human nature.
“I was honoured to be invited with the Mayor of Epping Town Council and other councillors and residents to attend the lighting of the Epping Menorah on Sunday. The Civic Carol Service took place in my own home town of Loughton the previous weekend. I found great strength and comfort in each service. There is so much more that unites than divides us.
“It is only a matter of a few months since the attack upon similarly innocent people in Manchester. Our friends and families in Australia will have grieved with us then, as we grieve with them now. The flags fly at half-mast outside the Civic Offices again.
“We are only a few days away from Christmas. There has never been a more important time to show peace and goodwill.”
Hannah Kelly, chair of the Essex Faith Covenant, said: “The terrible events in Bondi at Hanukkah over the weekend have shaken us all. What should have been a time of peace and community was instead marked by violence that tore through what should have been a joyous celebration.
“Our thoughts are with those who were killed or injured, and with the families, friends and communities now facing unimaginable grief. The pain is felt far beyond Bondi, reaching every person who values safety, dignity and the freedom to worship without fear. As leaders of Essex’s faith and community networks, we stand together in rejecting hatred in all its forms. Acts of terror seek to divide us, but they will never succeed.
“We affirm that compassion, respect and solidarity are stronger than violence. By working side by side, across traditions and communities, we show that unity is not just a response to tragedy, it is the foundation of our shared existence.
“The Essex Faith Covenant embodies this commitment. With more than 40 faith communities and public services joined in partnership, we continue to build bridges of trust and understanding.
“Let this moment remind us that resilience is born from togetherness, and that the values we hold – of peace, justice and mutual understanding – will always endure.”
