Nephew of Poway rabbi injured in 2019 synagogue shooting among those killed in Australia attack

The rabbi injured in a shooting at a Poway synagogue six years ago said his nephew — who is also a rabbi — was killed in the Hanukkah service on a beach in Australia that killed at least 15.

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein of Chabad Poway said his nephew was leading the Bondi Beach service when he was gunned down.

“We all woke up this morning to horrifying news from Sydney, Australia,” he wrote on Facebook. “This attack feels deeply personal. My nephew Rabbi Eli Schlanger was murdered, and my great-niece and great-nephew were injured at a Chabad-arranged public menorah lighting.”

Goldstein himself was wounded in a mass shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in April 2019.

That shooting occurred during a Sabbath service on the last day of Passover, when a 19-year-old gunman entered the Poway synagogue and opened fire. He killed one congregant and wounded three others, including Goldstein and a child.

“It is completely understandable to feel shaken,” he said, noting that a Sunday celebration in Poway would continue with added security. “This is not the time to hide. This is the time to show up.

“If one small candle can brighten a dark room, imagine what our collective light can do,” said his Facebook post, which was also from his wife, Devore Goldstein.

Local law enforcement agencies also said they were stepping up patrols on Sunday after ...