Hundreds had gathered for an event at Bondi Beach called Chanukah by the Sea, which was celebrating the start of the Hanukkah Jewish festival.

SYDNEY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Stories of horror and heroism emerged as Australians mourned the 15 people killed by two gunmen at Sydney's Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah event.

A bystander seen in a widely circulated video disarming a gunman during a deadly shooting rampage at a popular Australian beach is being heralded as a hero who saved lives

Bondi Beach, a half-mile crescent of yellow sand that sits less than four miles from downtown Sydney, Australia, is one of the country’s most famous destinations for locals and tourists. At least 10 people were killed on Sunday in a shooting at the beach, the police said.

The gathering at Bondi Beach had been organized by Chabad, a branch of Orthodox Judaism that holds cultural and religious events around the world. Australia, like a number of countries, has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years,