This Chabad Rabbi Prayed For My Recovery, Then He Was Murdered At Bondi Beach

This was the moment Australian journalist and author Nikki Goldstein learned that Rabbi Eli Schlanger hy"d had been murdered in the Bondi Beach terror attack. Just a couple years earlier, Schlanger - then a stranger - had prayed for Goldstein's recovery while she lay in a medically induced coma. Their unlikely friendship would eventually lead to a book, “Conversations with My Rabbi,” and a profound reconnection to Judaism. Goldstein assumed the book would be self-published and reach a few hundred people in their local community. Schlanger insisted it was destined to reach the world. In this clip, Goldstein recounts the devastating moment she realized the rabbi who had changed her life — and whose message she now carries forward through their book — was gone. After Schlanger’s tragic murder, Harper Collin’s acquired the book, which was published last week, fulfilling Schlanger’s prophetic declaration that would become a world-wide phenomenon. Watch the reel, then listen to the full conversation on the Jew in the City Podcast: https://jewinthecity.com/2026/06/this-chabad-rabbi-prayed-for-my-recovery-then-he-was-murdered-at-bondi-beach/ Follow us at: Website: https://JewintheCity.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewinthecity/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jewinthecity Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jewinthecity YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jewinthecity If you found this content meaningful and want to help further our mission through our Keter, Makom, and Tikun branches, please consider becoming a Change Maker today. About Jew in The City: Launched in 2007 by founder and executive director Allison Josephs, Jew in the City (JITC, a 501c3) has quickly grown to be a leading voice in this generation. It is the only nonprofit dedicated to changing negative perceptions of religious Jews and making engaging and meaningful Orthodox Judaism known and accessible. This is achieved by highlighting an approach based on kindness, tolerance, sincerity, and critical thinking. Painful experiences within the Orthodox world, caused by dysfunction and ignorance have tarnished the opinions of a sizable minority of insiders who find themselves Jewishly displaced. These traumatic versions of Orthodoxy then get amplified in modern day media and entertainment without the much needed nuance they require. This results in a distorted public perception of Orthodox Jews and Judaism, pushing less observant Jews away, creating shame around being Jewish, and fueling antisemitism. Jew in the City addresses these challenges on every level: *Repairing systemic issues from within – through our Tikun branch *Rehabilitating and re-educating disenfranchised Haredi Jews – through our Makom branch *Holding traditional media accountable for accurate reporting and creating original positive Orthodox content – through our Keter branch. Our programs cause Jews to lean into their Judaism, create Jewish pride, and reduce antisemitism, bringing about lasting change for generations to come.