We remember the darkness of the Bondi Beach terror attack. But we must also remember moments of light that shone through that darkness.
One of those lights was Alex Klytman. The Times of Israel reports that the15 victims murdered at Bondi Beach ranged from 10 to 87 in age; Alex was the 87-year-old. He and his wife, Larisa, had been married for 57 years and are originally from the former Soviet Union. As a child, Alex, along with his mother and brother, struggled for survival when the horrors of the Holocaust came to their home in Siberia. He later moved to Ukraine, where he would meet Larisa. They eventually came to Australia, where Alex worked as a civil engineer before retiring.
[Larisa]told the news outlet that “we were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom,’ and everybody fell down. At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me.”
According to the Daily Mail, the couple have two children and 11 grandchildren.
Alex refused to let the same type of anti-Semitism that had run rampant in Europe when he was a child take the life of his wife. His quick action is the reason why his beloved Larisa can stand with their children and grandchildren as she tells his story.
Even as anti-Semitism spikes to record high levels, the Jewish people – like Alex – will do what they have always done to shine light into this darkness, whether that means protecting loved ones or preserving their Jewish identity. The Fellowship is ever committed to our support and work for victims of terror and Holocaust survivors.
