Global Outpouring of Support: Millions Raised for Families of Victims of the Sydney Terror Attack

An international crowdfunding campaign was launched on Wednesday to support the families of those killed and wounded in the terror attack that struck Sydney earlier this week. Within its first 24 hours, the campaign raised $2.5 million toward a stated goal of $5 million.

Immediate and Long-Term Assistance

The campaign is operated by the international fundraising platform Charidy and is designed to provide both immediate and long-term financial assistance to the affected families. Support includes help with basic living expenses, emotional and psychological care, rehabilitation, and the restoration of stability in the aftermath of a devastating act of violence.

The beneficiaries include the family of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, of blessed memory, a community leader and the event’s organizer, who is survived by his wife and five children, including an infant; the family of Rabbi Yaakov Levitin, secretary of the local rabbinical court; and the families of Dan Elkayam of France; Peter Meagher, a former police officer and amateur photographer; and Tibor Weizmann, a grandfather who was killed while trying to protect his family.

A Shared Moral Response

According to the organizers, the response has come from across the globe. Thousands of donors—from Jewish communities and the broader public alike—contributed within hours of the campaign’s launch. Among the prominent contributors is Jewish-Australian businessman Kevin Burmeister, who donated $100,000.

“These are families whose lives were shattered in a single moment of brutal terror,” said Shai Tcherbinski, CEO of Charidy. “The immediate and deeply moving response from thousands of donors around the world reflects genuine human solidarity. Our responsibility is to ensure that every family receives support, stability, and care—and that no family is left to face such loss alone.”

The response also underscores values long associated with Israel’s moral tradition and shared by many who stand with the Jewish state. The Book of Proverbs instructs, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act” (Proverbs 3:27). The verse frames responsibility as immediate and practical—measured not by intention, but by action.

In standing with the victims of terror, supporters around the world have echoed a biblical ethic that rejects passivity in the face of violence. For those who stand with Israel, the moment serves as a reminder that the struggle against terror is not only geopolitical, but moral—rooted in ancient texts that call on societies to defend life, strengthen the innocent, and respond to hatred with resolve and compassion.