I caught up with Sydney rabbi Mendy Berger less than 24 hours after the Bondi Beach terror attack that left his family, friends and community shattered. What he told me was raw, confronting and impossible to ignore.

Berger was at the ‘Chanukah by the Sea’ family event when two gunmen opened fire. He had his young daughter with him. As shots rang out, he told me, “I had bullets skimmed past my ears. I was there yesterday protecting my daughter with bullets skimming past my ears.”

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Bondi TERROR ATTACK survivor relives HORRIFIC ordeal

A survivor gives a devastating account after evil gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach, killing at least twelve people and wounding many others.

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— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) December 14, 2025

He described grabbing children and shoving them into cover, waiting helplessly as gunfire continued. “We were just hiding waiting like sitting ducks,” he said, comparing the scene to terror footage from overseas that Australians never expect to witness at home.

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What upset Berger most was what he says happened next. Despite dozens of police on scene, he told me there was no immediate response. He told me he directly questioned a senior NSW Police figure, who explained, “They had pistols. The other people had assault rifles. We can’t do anything with pistols. That’s why we didn’t shoot back.”

That admission alone should chill every Australian.

Berger watched his uncle, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a senior figure in the local Jewish community and organiser of the event, get shot and killed in front of him. He says the attack was deliberate and targeted. “They knew exactly where they were going. They knew exactly where to target. They knew what time to target it.”

🔴 SPECIAL LIVESTREAM: Avi Yemini LIVE from Bondi after terror attack https://t.co/OyMwBOSrab

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) December 15, 2025

Despite his trauma, Berger refuses to back down. “We ain’t going to back down,” he told me. “We value life. They value death.”

But his message to government was blunt. “Don’t say you can protect us when clearly you can’t,” he said. “Enough games.”

Australia can do better. After hearing Berger’s account, it’s clear we must.