Sunday marked the first night of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.
It starts on a different date each year according to the lunar calendar, always around December.
The festival lasts eight days and commemorates events from more than 2,000 years ago.
At that time, Jewish people were forbidden from practising their religion by the Seleucid Empire — a Greek empire that controlled much of the Middle East.
According to tradition, a small Jewish group rebelled and reclaimed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
When they relit the temple’s oil lamp, the limited supply of oil – expected to last one day – miraculously lasted eight.
Today
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Today, Jewish people celebrate the festival of Chanukah by lighting eight candles on a special eight-branch candle holder and saying a prayer each evening after sunset. It is usually lit near a doorway or facing the street.
One candle is added each night until all candles are lit on the eighth night. Food cooked in oil is traditionally eaten, and children often play with a spinning top called a dreidel.
A traditional greeting is ‘Chag Sameach’ (in Hebrew) or ‘Happy Chanukah’ (in English).
Bondi
Jewish communities around the world traditionally hold gatherings on the first night of Chanukah to light the first candle of the Menorah together.
‘Chanukah by the Sea’ was scheduled to take place near the children’s playground at Bondi Beach from 5pm on Sunday.
Police estimate 1,000 people were at the Menorah lighting in Bondi when the terrorist attack took place.
