Friend pays tribute to UK-born rabbi: 'When the world gets dark, we are called upon to shine'

By Lisa Holland, communities correspondent

A rabbi born in north London who was killed in the attack has been described by a close family friend in the UK as"vivacious and energetic" and "committed to bringing out good in the world".

Rabbi Eli Schlanger was the organiser of the Hanukkah event in Sydney and was a Chabad rabbi in Australia. Chabad is a global organisation that brings Jews together.

Speaking to Sky News, Rabbi Bentzi Sudak, a Chabad rabbi in northwest London, told us he grew up with the Schlanger family and was in the same class as Rabbi Schlanger's brother Shmuli.

Rabbi Sudak said:"They're very vivacious people; always energetic and doing exceptional good work.  Never satisfied with the status quo - always adding, always thinking of new ideas to empower other people and do good in different ways.  Really vivacious, almost to a fault.  Very special people."

He said the Schlanger family moved to New York in the early 1990s when Rabbi Schlanger was about six or seven and they have all remained close since.

Watch: Eyewitness remembers friend Schlanger

He said:"Rabbi Schlanger moved to Sydney after he got married and he was an assistant rabbi at the synagogue where his father-in-law worked. He did a lot of community-wide volunteering. He organised the event where he was killed.

"He volunteered at places where there were vulnerable people - care homes or in prison to really bring out the goodness of every human being no matter how difficult a situation they were in.

"He was always proud and excited. I'm thinking what Rabbi Schlanger would say if he was here. Tributes are wonderful but Rabbi Schlanger was murdered in a terrible attack during a Hanukkah memorial lighting - that's an event that commemorates the miracle of Hanukkah.

"When the world gets dark, we are called upon to shine. It's painful and hard but you have to shine. And sometimes it hurts to shine. I think his biggest dream would be that everyone who sees this and the entire world would step up and choose to be the ambassador of light in their corner of the world and bring a world of beautiful light and peace.

"It's painful - it's a difficult time - but roots back to the same thing.  We don’t fight antisemitism by hiding. Antisemitism is a symptom of something much wider and it's up to every one of us not to fall into the trap of fear.  Rabbi Schlanger was committed to bringing out the good in the world."

Watch: Sydney chief minister describes Schlanger's work in Australia