“I wasn’t feeling well, and later my younger sister woke me up. She called to find out where I was and informed me there had been a shooting. I immediately tried to reach my children, but neither Valya nor my son, Misha—who is Matilda’s father and also known as Michael—were answering. Finally, Valya picked up and told me Matilda had been wounded,” recounted a concerned mother.
“We are incredibly grateful to the woman who saved our child. She might not have known it was our daughter, but she shielded her and took her to safety behind a car. We cannot thank her enough for her bravery,” she added, expressing heartfelt gratitude.
Others have echoed Lena’s gratitude for the selfless act.
Lia was also present at the Hanukkah by the Sea event in Bondi on December 14, where a tragic shooting claimed 15 lives.
The President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Daniel Aghion, stated that after weeks of advocating for a royal commission, the Jewish community feels their concerns have been acknowledged. He urged everyone to support the prime minister’s recent decision.
“I think a lot of the royal commission pressure has been pressured by certain communities to look into just one form of racism. And I think it’s a very dangerous precedent and it doesn’t really resolve what it hopes to achieve,” he said.
