Holocaust Survivor Dies a Hero in Australia, Forcing His Way Between His Wife and Mass Murderer's Gun
Alex Kleytman endured the horrors of the Holocaust only to be shot in the back as he celebrated Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia on Saturday.
The 87-year-old was among the 15 victims of a shooting that took place at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration, according to CNN. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” his widow, Larisa, said, according to the Daily Mail.
“I think it was (the wound) on the back. Blood (came) from his back,” she said, according to the Australian.
This is Alex Kleytman – the Holocaust survivor shot dead on Bondi Beach by immigrant muslims. He died protecting his wife of 50 years. pic.twitter.com/gF5toAZi5X
— Peter Lloyd (@Suffragent_) December 14, 2025
“He came on Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah, for us it was always a very, very good celebration, for many, many years. Today in the middle of the celebrations (there were) shots and unfortunately my husband was killed,” she said.
New South Wales police said a father and son sprayed the scene with bullets, leaving more than 40 people wounded.
The father, whose name was not released, was killed by police at the scene. The other shooter, believed to be Naveed Akram, 24, was critically injured but remained alive as of Sunday night.
“We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down,” Larisa Kleytman said.
“At this moment he 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 said of her husband of 57 years.
The Australian Jewish charity JewishCare summarized the couple’s story in 2023.
“As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust. Alex’s memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival,” the organization’s annual report stated.
“The scars of the past, however, did not deter them from seeking a brighter future. They later made the move to Australia, immigrating from Ukraine,” the report said.
Alex Kleytman was a retired civil engineer. The Daily Mail said they have two children and 11 grandchildren.
BREAKING: Another victim of the Sydney Chanukah party attack has been identified as Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman.
Alex died saving his wife of five decades, Larissa. The elderly couple was celebrating with friends and family when the massacre began.
That is who the… pic.twitter.com/DRm0TyImoB
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) December 14, 2025
Police have not yet released a motive, but the Daily Mail quoted a witness as saying, “These men pulled over their car put a black flag with an emblem on the windshield then walked over the footbridge and started firing.”
“I stood up and looked over and then I just saw people on the beach running really fast away from that area, like the Bondi Pavilion but the north side of it,” witness Tim Hamilton said.
The Australian noted that citizens of France and Israel were among the dead.
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