From Israel to Bondi Beach: Terror found my friend, Arsen Ostrovsky

“Please write more,” Arsen Ostrovsky asked during our last meeting three weeks ago. I will, I promised, not even imagining that it would be Arsen that I’m writing about.

One of the first things I saw when I woke up this morning was a beautiful picture of my dear friends, Arsen and Tzeira. They looked so happy and relaxed together in Sydney.

I sent them a heart and thought to myself how happy I was for them. Looking at their picture, I was taken back to the very first conversations I had with each of them, as I tried to convince them to go out on a first date. I later had the honor of standing by their chuppah at their beautiful wedding in Jaffa. Fast forward more than 10 years, and here they are — having just moved back to Sydney with their two beautiful daughters.

The last time I saw Arsen was only three weeks ago, just days before they moved to Sydney. Despite being excited about his new role as head of the Australia–Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Sydney office, Arsen was also deeply saddened by leaving Israel. As true Zionists, Arsen and Tzeira dreamed of raising their daughters in Israel, so this was not an easy decision for them to make.

Before hugging Arsen goodbye, I told him how proud I was of him, and that I see his new role as his miluim, his IDF reserve duty. Just as we Israelis are fighting terrorists who seek to eliminate Jews in Israel, he is going to Sydney to confront those spreading hate and threatening Jewish life in Australia. I told him I knew he would do great things for the Australian Jewish community.

Arsen was visibly touched by my words and then shared another thought with me. He told me that when he and Tzeira shared the news of the move to Sydney with their two young daughters, their younger daughter’s initial response was: “Aba, does this mean no more boom boom?” — meaning she believed they would no longer have to experience missile attacks. ”Hopefully, the move to Sydney will allow the girls to enjoy some peaceful times,” he added.

Later Sunday morning, when I heard about the horrific terror attack on Bondi Beach, I wrote to Arsen immediately. I had a terrible feeling that the Ostrovskys might have been there. As the hours passed without a response, I tried to convince myself that he was simply busy dealing with the community’s needs during such a frightening time.

Nothing prepared me for the photo that followed: Arsen lying on the grass, covered in blood, seeking shelter.

As a true leader — a true Jewish leader — Arsen, still bleeding, rose to the moment and stood up for his beloved community. Standing strong, he spoke to the local press, sending a clear message and calling on the world to wake up. Just like October 7 in Israel, Jews are under attack in Sydney, Australia as well. Same attackers. Same victims.

In that moment, I saw exactly who he has always been. Not just a friend, not just a devoted husband and father, but a true Jewish leader. A Zionist who dedicated years to strengthening Israel’s voice online, who worked tirelessly for our people, and who now finds himself on the front lines of a different battle: protecting Jewish life and dignity in the Diaspora at a time of rising hatred and violence.

The attack on Bondi Beach is not only a personal nightmare for those involved; it is a painful reminder that the terror we confront in Israel does not stop at our borders. Antisemitism and violence follow Jews wherever we are. And yet, so too does our resilience.

My concern was not only personal; it was communal. Between 2012 and 2014, I served as the director of the Israel By Choice gap-year program, working closely with the Australian Jewish community. Those years forged lasting relationships and gave me a deep appreciation for the strength, warmth, and unwavering commitment of Australian Jewry to Israel and to Jewish life. That connection did not end then. To this day, through my work with Kol Ami Mechina, I remain deeply connected to Australian families, young leaders, and educators who continue to send their children to Israel, even during times of uncertainty.

Seeing terror strike Bondi Beach did not feel distant or abstract. It felt like an attack on the family.

Arsen’s injury is a tragedy. But his response — his presence, courage, and refusal to disappear — embodies the spirit that has carried our people through far darker chapters. My heart is with him, with Tzeira, with their daughters, and with the entire Jewish community in Sydney today. May he heal quickly. May we find strength in one another. And may we never mistake distance from Israel as distance from the Jewish story. We are all part of it, everywhere.