Chaya Dadon has been nominated for Australian of the Year following her selfless display of courage during the December 14 incident in Bondi.
The teenager demonstrated extraordinary bravery by placing herself in harm’s way to shield younger children at the Chanukah by the Sea event.
“I knew in that moment, I felt like Hashem was sitting right next to me,” she said, reflecting on her instinct to protect the group. “He was whispering into my ear, ‘This is your mission: go save those kids’.”
The schoolgirl bravely left a place of safety to shield the children, using her own body to cover them. Even after sustaining an injury during the chaos, she remained focused on protecting them, finding strength in prayer.
“I wasn’t even worried; I channeled all that energy into strength and knew I had to be there for those kids,” she shared. “If I had to risk everything to save them, that’s what I was going to do.”
When her father arrived to help, he found her holding the children close, comforting them.
Despite being nominated for Australian of the Year following the December 14 incident, she remains humble. “I don’t feel like I’m a hero. I feel like everyone was a hero in that situation,” said the teenager.
Bondi massacre hero Chaya Dadon
The schoolgirl left the safety of her hiding spot, pulled the children away and jumped on top of them, covering their bodies with her own
“I’ve been going my whole life,” she said. “It’s usually such an amazing event.”
Ms Dadon spent four days recovering at the Sydney Children’s Hospital before returning home last month. She is currently using crutches, which she has decorated as a tribute to those lost in the tragedy.
She does not yet know the children she protected but hopes to connect with them again.
“Those children experienced something no one should ever have to go through,” she noted, adding her belief that the community will emerge more resilient.
“Even if they can’t see it now, everyone is going to grow stronger because I really feel like in that situation, everyone was tested.”