The Brooklyn sister of the beloved rabbi slain in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre is doubling down on her Jewish pride, insisting, “We’re not hiding and we’re not afraid.”
Chani Schlanger Drizin, 54, sat shiva this week for her baby brother, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, in her home in Crown Heights, which has been a hotbed of antisemitic attacks for years — and again this week.
She insisted she’ll honor her brother’s legacy and her faith by standing proud in the face of rising hate.
“He would tell us to keep going,” said Drizin, who wore a freshly torn sweatshirt, per the Jewish custom as an expression of pain.
Her brother helped organize the Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 14, the first night of the holiday.
The entire Schlanger family, including wife, Chaya, and five kids, from 17 to six weeks old, showed up to help the rabbi run the beloved annual Hanukkah by the Sea event that drew some 2,000 people.
Death rained down when Sajid Akram, 50, and his son, Naveed, 24, allegedly opened fire on the crowd, killing 15 and leaving dozens hurt. The rabbi was shot in the back after throwing himself on a community member to shield them from the bullets, and died instantly.
Hate unfolded closer to home days later, when a Yeshiva student was assaulted on the subway and a man was stabbed by an attacker who allegedly seethed “I’m going to kill a Jew today.”
“I don’t know what happened to New York. I wish I knew. This is my home, but the spike in antisemitism is terrifying,” Drizin said.
“The scary thing is, It’s going to happen again,” she predicted. “I pray it doesn’t happen here, but it won’t stop me from leaving my house and continuing doing our holy work.”
She sobbed as she scrolled through videos of her adored brother on her phone, watching clips of him goofing around with family.
“We’re still going to light the menorah in public and take the subway — they’re not going to tear us down.”
A British native who’s lived in New York for 36 years, she insisted “We’re all in this together.
“They try to destroy us, but every time they do something, we become stronger and more resilient.”
Family friend Shalom Goldstein — whose cousin, 20-year-old American Leibel Lazaroff, was critically injured after being shot multiple times at Bondi Beach — blamed “political correctness” for rising antisemitism and said he appealed to NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch for protection after the recent spate of hate crimes in Crown Heights.
“We were hoping we’re in better times, but the ugly head of antisemitism is rearing again. The problem is the bystanders and those who rationalize it or find politically correct ways to try to spin it,” he said.
Drizin prayed for “an end to the hatred in this dark world” as she lit the candles on her menorah, while summoning the strength to sing the traditional tune commemorating the miracles God delivers for the Jewish people.
“We’re going to make this world a bigger and brighter place and keep our faith. We’re going to come out stronger than ever,” she vowed.
With each passing car blasting festive Hanukkah music, Drizin is reminded of the mission of her 41-year-old brother, who regularly visited the sick and incarcerated.
“Eli was all about joy, love, and appreciation for being Jewish.”
Schlanger, a “modern-day Maccabee,” inspired his loving sister. “No one’s going to stop us from continuing what we’re doing.
”We will carry that legacy unafraid.”
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