In the face of terror, Salvos stand with the Bondi community
- 19 hours ago
- 8 min read
When Eastern Beaches Corps Officers Lieutenant Keven and Captain Jo Williams woke on Sunday 14 December 2025, it was meant to be another busy day in the lead-up to Christmas. But by nightfall, everything had changed. Their community – and country – had been shattered to its core. Australia’s worst antisemitic terror attack struck Bondi Beach during Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday celebration. Fifteen lives were lost. Forty injured. A nation in shock.
In the immediate aftermath, the couple moved swiftly to stand with their community. They listened. They supported. They prayed. They held space for families whose worlds had been torn apart in an instant, marking The Salvation Army’s first involvement with a large-scale terror attack on Australian soil.
In their first interview since the horrific attack, the couple spoke with Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH about confronting unimaginable grief, witnessing profound courage, and the enduring strength found in unity.
Keven takes a deep breath.
The weight of what he’s about to share is palpable. This isn’t just another interview.
Reflecting on the Bondi Beach shooting massacre – the deadliest terror attack on Australia’s Jewish community – requires more than just words; it requires composure and moments of pause to truly express the weight of what he witnessed.
“The whole thing was overwhelming,” Keven says, recalling his time on the frontline in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“Some of the stories were horrible – too horrible to mention. It wasn’t nice … there were moments there that I didn’t know how to feel. I remember thinking, I’ve heard all these things today and I’m supporting people, but I actually do not know how to regulate and how to feel right now.”
Together with his wife, Jo, the couple spoke openly about their beloved Eastern Beaches community, which they have called home for many years, and the absolute heartbreak of facing yet another horrific tragedy after having supported community members through the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre in April 2024.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Jo remained at the corps supporting grieving and shocked community members – while also caring for Keven.
“I know when he came home that I needed to give him space … I could feel the weight,” she reflects. “Sometimes, little bits would come out, like later on … I know when they finished (being stationed at Bondi in the aftermath) he did say, his brain was fried … I am so proud of him, he was amazing and what he did at the scene.”
For Keven and Jo, the violence was not distant. It was personal.
The couple had associations with three people killed on the day. They knew of the young girl, Matilda, through their neighbour across the road. She was part of the Eastern Beaches community. The best friend of Keven’s best friend’s mother was also killed. A local man, a close friend of Jo and Keven’s other neighbour across the street, was also killed.
Yet amidst the heartbreak, the headlines, and the torrent of emotions, hope emerged.
“The camaraderie, the solidarity, the coming together of the community was absolutely phenomenal,” Keven emphasises.
“The wreaths that were getting laid, the respect that was getting paid to the 15 victims who lost their lives … it just was like, Wow! This is what Australia is about. This is what community looks like. I was very proud of our community to come together. Jo was also great. She really brought the volunteers together in solidarity – and being open to talk about it.”
The day that changed everything The moment everything shifted remains etched in the officer’s mind.
Breaking news flashed across his television screen on the night of 14 December: an incident was unfolding at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah, attended by about 1000 people.
“We didn’t know what was entirely happening at the start,” says Keven.
“Once we knew (as the attack was being reported), I reached out to Waverley Council, to the community liaison, and said, ‘Hey, look, we know what’s happening. We just want to know if you guys and your team are okay. We’re here for support. If you guys need us, please reach out.’ We had previously built relationships with the council during the Bondi Westfield tragedy.”
Then, before dawn had fully broken, another call came.
Josh Farquhar, a director at North Bondi RSL, called and asked Keven what he was doing right then – and could he mobilise a team to come down and support the community as people were walking around not knowing what to do next, in shock, saying ‘What the hell’s going on? This is Australia. Nothing like this has ever happened before.’”
Within an hour, plans were in motion.
Keven had mobilised a support team, and the North Bondi RSL became an emergency services hub for community support. Together with co-chaplain Major Bill Geracia, Divisional Chaplaincy Manager (NSW/ACT), who led the team of chaplains, the team spent nearly a week at Bondi Beach in the aftermath, coordinating with other services daily to ensure efforts were effective and non-repetitive.
In the aftermath of the shootings, Keven mobilised a support team and the North Bondi RSL (pictured) became an emergency services hub for community support. Pictured at the RSL are from left, Keven, Melissa Bitton (Community Services Doorways), Kylie Tai (administration assistant) and Ian Henry (retired officer).
When the officer stepped onto the scene with several other chaplains and officers, the grief was immediate and overwhelming. They walked, they talked, they shed tears, bought coffee – and they prayed with people.
“I went up to a Jewish man,” Keven says.
“They were praying and laying flowers. And I just said, ‘How are you doing?’ And then tears just started rolling down his face. He then apologised, saying, ‘I’m so sorry. I should not be crying. I should be used to this.’ I replied, ‘Oh my gosh, mate, you should not be used to this. Nobody should be used to this. This is Australia – and nothing like this should have ever happened.’”
The heartbreak deepened when Keven learned the man’s story. The man had fled from Israel to start a new life.
“He came here thinking everything’s going to be good in a beautiful country like Australia,” Keven says. “And then this happens.”
Another image remains etched in his memory.
Twenty people stood on the beach, totally in shock. They did not know where to go, what to do. And their rallying cry? “This is Australia! This is Australia!”
Even those indirectly affected found solace.
A television cameraman who had witnessed the event after a daughter’s birthday party and started filming, felt guilty and distressed for not performing CPR. Keven offered to pray.
“I said to him, ‘Look, can I pray with you?’,” he remembers. “And he was open to prayer. Most people were open to prayer. They were open to being prayed for, being cared upon.”
Back at the corps, the sorrow lingered.
Jo reflected on the week’s sombreness: “We just had to support one another and listen ... people coming to the corps to pick up their Christmas toys and hampers were definitely scared; some even had been at Bondi when the shooting happened,” she recalls.
“The whole week was definitely sombre because the staff and volunteers were all feeling upset and scared. We had to support one another and listen, and even for the staff as well.”
For some, survival itself felt miraculous.
Various news channels showing the community response to the tragedy.
One of the corps’ receptionists, who is Jewish, was on her way to the Hanukkah celebration when she somehow felt, in the spirit, a tap on her shoulder to turn back – a serendipitous warning. It potentially saved her life.
Acts of service also became pathways to healing.
Keven and the Salvos team distributed water with the Australian Red Cross, connecting with people of all faiths. Biscuits were handed out. Conversations, care and compassion took top priority.
And on a spiritual level, there was strength.
Keven drew deeply from two Bible verses – Jeremiah 29:11, and Isaiah 41:10 – to find hope amid the trauma.
“In the difficult times for people that were around me, God promises that there is a future and there is hope, even amongst death and trauma and tragedy,” he said. “God was there – he was there, and I could feel it, and I could see him work.”
Reaching out to his supervisor and people skilled in dealing with trauma incidents helped him navigate the emotional weight, plus Jo’s unwavering support.
And amidst the devastation and despair, a deeper love for the Bondi community emerged.
Reflecting on the tragedy’s impact, Keven remarks, “It has given me more of a love for Bondi, the community there. Now that we have established a relationship with North Bondi RSL, we reach out to them once a month. I’ll go there, have coffee, a chat, ask how they’re doing, and see how we can support them.”
The officer has also continued to counsel and pray with RSL staff, who have deeply appreciated the support: “Our new relationship, our new bond that we have, will continue for as long as we are here.”
And at the heart of it all is a message the officers are determined to share.
“From a non-Christian basis, we are all better together than we are apart,” he says.
“From a Christian perspective, Jesus sat with the Samaritan woman at the well. He mixed with everyone. He talked with everyone. If we are to be like Jesus and lead like Jesus, then we are called to every person. The message is that we are to love. We are not to hate. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus – that’s really what we want the community to know.”
For Jo, the call is clear: do not rush past the pain.
“We actually should not move on for from this quickly,” she says.
“It is a really devastating big thing that we actually need to remember and not forget, to not make light of it and move on to the next thing.
“It’s quite a devastating thing … it wasn’t just the Jewish community – everyone was affected.”
She recalls a non-Jewish community member throwing a child, whom she did not know, into her arms to protect her during the shooting.
“We want unity, we want love and support,” she emphasises.
As the couple look to the future, they are determined what happened on that fateful day must be remembered.
“We should remember those who passed,” Keven says. “We should remember those who were affected. Whilst it was targeted at the Jewish community, the wider Australian community has really felt it and is still feeling it even now with protests and other events.”
And through the ashes of tragedy, a legacy of service stands firm.
“There are times that I get reminded that The Salvation Army has always been there first,” he says.
“Most directors at North Bondi RSL are from an army background and have a high regard for The Salvation Army – first in, last out, always there. Historically, in wars, The Salvation Army was always in the trenches. And again, we were in the trenches with the community, facing an enemy – but we did it together.”
READ MORE: Finding light in the darkness of Bondi
