Bondi photographer’s widow begins conversion to Judaism — Jerusalem Post
In Sydney, Australia, Virginia Meagher, the widow of photographer Peter Meagher, who was killed during an attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi in December 2025, has begun the process of converting to Judaism. According to the Jerusalem Post, she said she is doing so in honor of her husband and the other victims of the attack.
Peter Meagher’s family history
Peter Meagher was 61 years old. He was a former New South Wales police detective sergeant and a photographer known in the Jewish community. Meagher worked as a freelance photographer at local Chabad events, including the Hanukkah celebration on that day.
According to Virginia Meagher, her husband was raised in the Catholic tradition. Shortly before his death, he learned that his maternal grandmother was Jewish and that he was therefore Jewish as well. Virginia said she began considering conversion to Judaism in 2017, when she started working at a Chabad school. In February 2026, she decided to begin this process.
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Return of the camera
Peter Meagher’s photographs helped police reconstruct the final moments of the event and establish where people were during the attack. His camera was stolen immediately after the incident and was taken to a pawn shop several days later.
New South Wales police arrested a suspect in the theft of the camera in May. According to the publication, this person also worked as a photographer at the Hanukkah event. After the camera and its data were recovered, police handed the equipment over to Virginia Meagher last week.
Among the returned images are the last photographs of Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger. According to the Jerusalem Post, he was shot when he tried to persuade the shooter to stop firing. Virginia Meagher said the images both reminded her of the people who were killed and became a source of comfort, as they captured attendees spending time at the celebration.
