A rabbi who was killed in one of Australia's deadliest massacres has posthumously achieved his lifelong ambition of becoming an author.
Conversations with My Rabbi had been one chapter away from completion when two terrorists gunned down its author Rabbi Eli Schlanger and 14 others at a Hanukkah event he organised on Bondi Beach in December.
Months on, his co-author, secular Jewish woman Nikki Goldstein, announced the launch of the book at a Bondi synagogue on Tuesday.
"Within five minutes of meeting him ... he pulled up a chair next to my bed and told me it was his lifelong dream to write a book," she said.
"My co-author may not be here, but I can tell you if Rabbi Eli Schlanger was here, he'd be dancing for joy about the book and the fact that he got his wish."
In 2022, Ms Goldstein was in a coma when her husband noticed Rabbi Schlanger in the hospital halls and asked for assistance.
The rabbi stood beside her bed whispering ancient prayers before she woke from her coma the next day.
The pair formed an instant connection despite their profound differences on religious tradition and modern life.
Their differences formed the basis for the book, a guide for how to navigate modern issues based on the teachings of Jewish faith.
Mr Schlanger's father in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, helped complete its final chapter after the mass shooting and disagreed with Ms Goldstein at the event.
"You said that you wish your co-author could be here today with us," he said.
"I promise you that he is here today with us."
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Kellie Sloan both attended the event, which led to a delay in state parliament proceedings.
Ms Sloane was present at the Bondi terror attack last December and assisted in applying bandages and first aid to shot victims.
She said she knew Rabbi Schlanger.
"Many of the people I'm seeing here today, I was in the thick of it with them on December 14," she told AAP.
"The memories are painful, but days like this help us remember what's important, and the messages Eli would have liked us to remember."
