A vehicle adorned with a menorah and “Happy Chanukah” sign was destroyed in a targeted firebombing attack early Thursday morning in the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community. The incident has sent shockwaves through a community already mourning the victims of the recent Bondi Beach terror attack.

The attack occurred at approximately 2:50 AM on Balaclava Road in St Kilda East. The silver sedan, which featured a roof-mounted sign and a car menorah, was parked in the driveway of a local Anash family when it was deliberately set ablaze, likely via a Molotov cocktail.

While the car was completely destroyed, miraculously, no physical injuries were reported. The father of the home was out of the country. However, his wife and young children were asleep inside the home just meters away.

“My wife heard the car alarm go off and looked out the window and the car was on fire,” the Lubavitcher, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. “She rushed the kids out the back door.”

Rabbi Effy Block of Chabad St Kilda described the trauma inflicted on the family. “They are OK, but the car is destroyed. It’s traumatizing,” he said. “They saw fire outside—they ran out of the house. Mentally, it was very traumatising for them. It was an antisemitic attack because they saw the Menorah.”

The location of the attack, near Carlisle Street—known as “Melbourne’s Bagel Belt”—and directly across from a Jewish day school, has exacerbated fears in the area. The incident comes just 11 days after the horrific terror attack at a Chanukah event in Bondi Beach on the first night of Chanukah, which claimed 15 lives.

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann of the Ark Centre in Hawthorn East expressed the community’s anguish. “Bondi Beach is now soaked in Jewish blood. Is that what we are waiting for here… in Melbourne?” he asked. “Jewish children are not safe when Jewish schools are under attack… Jewish kids sleeping are being evacuated because their cars and their property are being firebombed.”

Victoria Police have established a crime scene and are investigating the incident as arson and a suspected hate crime. Detectives from the Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit have identified a person of interest and are actively pursuing leads, though no arrests have been made as of Thursday afternoon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “beyond comprehension.”

“Australia’s Jewish community is in mourning after the Bondi terrorist attack. The firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another terrible act of suspected antisemitism,” Albanese said. “There is no place in Australia for this kind of hatred and it has to stop.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed she had been briefed by police and noted the visibility of the targeted vehicle. “This little car has been driving around town spreading the Hanukkah and holiday cheer. I even saw one drive past when I was in Caulfield on Monday afternoon,” she said.

Liberal MP David Southwick noted the deliberate nature of the targeting. “The car that was targeted and the family that was targeted was a Jewish family with a Jewish symbol on the vehicle,” he said.

Community Security Group (CSG) Victoria confirmed they are operating at a heightened level with increased patrols and remain in close contact with police.

Photos: Australian Jewish Association on X