Under one of the tightest security operations the country has ever seen, Israeli President Issac Herzog arrived at Bondi Chabad with an entourage of more than 50 vehicles and teams of security.

Despite the major fanfare, his arrival was intended for an intimate gathering of families of the victims of the Bondi attack, as well as the local shluchim of the Rebbe and other community leaders. The President was joined by the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, on his visit to Chabad of Bondi.

The event began with an intimate closed-door meeting of the President and Prime Minister with shliach Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, director of Chabad of Bondi.

Reportedly, the conversation focused on the President’s lineage and connection to Chabad, with his wife being a descendant of the Tzemach Tzedek, as well as the President sharing about the personal meeting he had with the Rebbe during Simchas Torah with his late father, the then Israeli ambassador to the UN.

After the closed-door meeting, the President met one on one with the families of the victims, sharing in their pain and offering comfort, fulfilling his commitment and the stated purpose of his trip to “embrace and counsel the grieving families.”

The President and Prime Minister then walked in to the shul upstaits as the larger gathering began. The music played “Keili Atah,” as the President and Prime Minister walked together with Rabbi Ulman to take their seats in the shul of Chabad of Bondi.

The event began with a reading of Tehillim and Kel Maleh Rachamim with an open Aron Hakodesh.

Rabbi Ulman addressed the President as coming from a great lineage of Torah learning and spoke of being touched by a gift received from the President after the Bondi attack containing the President’s grandfather’s, Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Herzog’s, seforim, sent to Rabbi Ulman with an inscription from the President.

Rabbi Ulman then proceeded to gift the President his own halachic sefer in which the President’s grandfather is quoted, continuing his lineage in Torah and influence.

The President addressed the community and gave over the Rebbe’s message of requiring us to transform the darkness itself into light and positive influence.

The Prime Minister was then called upon to read out the names of those killed as the families stood as their loved ones were mentioned.

Kaddish was said by Nosson Shlanger and Yaakov Tetleyroyd as the shul stood answering amen.

After impassioned addresses by the two other heads of Israeli and international organizations, the visiting party was escorted out of the shul to the song “Ani Maamin.”