CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The festival of Hanukkah, typically celebrated with joy and illumination, began on a somber note this year. Tragedy struck in Sydney, Australia, where an attack on a Jewish celebration resulted in the deaths of at least 15 individuals and left dozens more injured.

Among those grieving the loss are members of the Illini Chabad community in Champaign. Dovid Tiechtel, the senior rabbi and executive director at Illini Chabad, shared that the attack claimed the lives of two of his colleagues. Additionally, a classmate of his son is among those seriously injured in the incident.