A grandfather who survived the Holocaust is a hero after he used his body to shield his wife in a targeted terror attack against Jewish families at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia on Sunday.
Alex Kleytman, and his wife of 57 years, Larissa, joined other families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach for a gathering on the first night of the Jewish holiday, when a father and son opened fire on the festivities, killing 15 people, including Alex.
At the hospital, Larisa, who is also a Holocaust survivor, was understandably frazzled when she recalled the details of how her husband protected her with nothing but his body as the bullets flew.
Hero husband Alex died saving his wife of five decades, Larissa - as she relives the horrific moment he was fatally gunned down in front of her in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack: 'He tried to protect me' https://t.co/a6tjFg59oO
— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) December 14, 2025
READ MORE: 12 Dead in Sydney Terror Attack As Gunmen Target Jewish Families at Bondi Beach Hanukkah Gathering
MORE: Watch: Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Moment Hero Bystander Takes Down Bondi Beach Terrorist
“We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom,’ and everybody fell down,” Larisa said, per the New York Post.
“At this moment he [Alex] 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,” she added. “His body is still there and I am sitting there and don’t know what I have to do. I have no husband. I don’t know… nobody can give me any answers.”
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me, in the back of the head," Larisa continued, per the Daily Mail.
Both Alex and Larisa were children in Ukraine during World War II and survived the Holocaust only to find each other years later, marry, have kids, celebrate grandkids, and enjoy five decades of marriage. To have it end this way, all because they were at a peaceful ceremony celebrating their faith, is just so tragic.
SEE: Death Toll Climbs in Sydney Terror Attack; Shooters Identified as Father/Son Duo
ALSO: Watch: Australia's PM Now Deflects From Jihadi Attack to 'Right-Wing Extremists'
And Alex wasn’t the only hero out of this tragedy. A man whose family members identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop near the beach, didn’t think about his own life and rushed in to tackle one of the shooters, as my RedState colleague Teri Christoph reported.
WATCH: Heroic bystander tackles suspected shooter during deadly terror attack on Hanukkah celebration at Australia's Bondi Beach. pic.twitter.com/sxwWGorN63
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 14, 2025
Amidst the devastating carnage, however, a story of great heroism is emerging – and it was all caught on video. The amazing footage that's going viral on social media shows a man sneaking up behind one of the gunmen who had moved from the bridge and positioned himself behind a tree. The apparently unsuspecting terrorist was unleashing a barrage of bullets when the man grabbed the shooter around the neck from behind and wrestled the rifle away from him.
Extended video shows the terrorist slinking back toward the pedestrian bridge where another gunman appears to be shooting either at the attendees of the Chanukah by the Sea 2025 event or at the hero who now had possession of the rifle and was taking refuge behind the tree (or both). Australian media have identified one of the terrorists as Naveed Akram.
Ahmed, the 43-year-old father of two, was reportedly shot multiple times in the confrontation. He underwent surgery and is in critical but stable condition.
HERO: Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, tackled one of the terrorists who opened fire at the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach yesterday.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 15, 2025
His actions saved countless lives. Ahmed was shot 4-5 times in the arm. He underwent surgery today and is in critical but stable condition.
📷… pic.twitter.com/ekPVbmkx9v
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns accurately labeled the attack what it was: a "cowardly" assault on the Jewish community.
BREAKING: New South Wales premier Chris Minns says an attack at Bondi Beach was "designed to target Sydney's Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah".
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 14, 2025
Police in Sydney say nine people have been killed in the shooting.
🔗 https://t.co/nnEPjDe8j8
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/uFFtNrpOMp
“This cowardly act of terrified violence is shocking and painful to see and represents some of our worst fears about terrorism in Sydney,” Minns said.
“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” he added. “What should’ve been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack.”
Closer to home, in Redlands, CA, a person’s home Hanukkah display was targeted in a drive-by shooting, in what authorities are investigating as an antisemitic hate crime, RedState reported. Amazingly, no one was injured in the CA shooting, where multiple families had gathered on Friday.
These stories are developing. Check back to RedState for updates.
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