Ever since the December terror attack that claimed the life of Rabbi Eli Schlanger and 14 others, countless good deeds have been performed in his memory, ensuring that his legacy continues even in his physical absence. Now, a new book is set to be published by HarperCollins, bringing the young Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi’s teachings to an ever-wider audience and adding to a legacy that has already inspired so much good.
The book, Conversations With My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World, was written by Nikki Goldstein based on a series of conversations between herself and Rabbi Schlanger, the associate rabbi at Chabad of Bondi in Sydney, Australia. It is subtitled: “a radically hopeful exploration of faith, identity, morality, and purpose.”
Presenting essential questions, answers and perspectives from two radically different life paths and perspectives—Rabbi Schlanger a rabbi and community leader, and Goldstein, a secular Jewish journalist and author—the book was in the final stages of preparation before Rabbi Schlanger was murdered at his community’s “Chanukah at the Sea” celebration.
A London native, Rabbi Schlanger helped lead Chabad of Bondi for 18 years. His impact reached far beyond the walls of the synagogue, however; he served as chaplain to NSW Corrective Services and NSW Prisoners of War and as a chaplain at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.
Rabbi Schlanger played a prominent role in building the community, and took the lead in many of the center’s flagship initiatives. Among them was “Chanukah by the Sea,” the annual first-night Chanukah celebration held on the world-renowned Bondi Beach, as well as Project Noah, an educational initiative to bring the timeless values of the Seven Noahide Laws to young people through engaging, interactive programs.
Beyond large-scale programs, Rabbi Schlanger had a profound personal impact on countless individuals, serving as a spiritual guide and mentor through moments of joy, sorrow, and everyday life. One of those individuals was Nikki Goldstein.
Their first meeting unfolded under near-tragic circumstances. Goldstein lay comatose in an ICU, critically ill from a life-threatening infection. Rabbi Schlanger was also present in the ICU, offering support to patients and families in their most desperate moments. When Goldstein’s daughter noticed him, she asked if he would pray for her mother.
Rabbi Schlanger immediately obliged. It was the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, and the rabbi blew shofar at Goldstein’s bedside, before reciting prayers for her recovery.
Goldstein’s condition began to improve the next day, the beginning of a recovery that would ultimately restore her to health. Her doctors called it a miracle.
As she regained her health, Rabbi Schlanger and Goldstein grew closer. The two came from backgrounds that seemed world apart: He, a rabbi and a spiritual mentor, her a secular Jew, journalist and author of a teen girl self-empowerment series that evolved into a broader brand encompassing yoga wear, cosmetics, stationery and music. Yet, through their discussions, they discovered that once the external layers were peeled away, they were both seeking the very same thing.
They were both looking for answers.
Answers to questions about life. Questions about meaning. About the purpose each one of us was created for and the G‑d given role we are meant to play during our time on earth.
Recognizing the potential for their conversations to benefit a wider audience, they began recording them with the goal of writing a book. The project began in January 2025, and steadily progressed. By December of that year, work on the final chapter was underway. The finish line was in sight.
Then, as Rabbi Schlanger and the Jews of Bondi gathered for Chanukah, two terrorists armed with rifles opened fire. They brutally killed Rabbi Schlanger and 14 others, including a 10-year-old girl, in a barbaric act of hate.
Australia was plunged into mourning, joined by communities around the world. Goldstein herself was shaken to the core. But she was determined that the terrorists not be allowed to snuff out Rabbi Schlanger’s bright light.
“I was devastated, shocked, and grieving. But I knew that Eli’s legacy, his mission to bring light and love to the world, would not die with him,” she said. “Eli saved my life those years ago, and it’s my honor and privilege to ensure that his voice, memory, and mission are not silenced by terror and continue to work miracles.”
She continued working to complete the book. When Lisa Sharkey, HarperCollins senior vice president and publisher of Harper Influence, saw the proposal for the book, she jumped at it, sensing it to be "radically hopeful." “I’ve never been so instantly affected by an inspirational story as I have been by this one,” Sharkey said.
“Grounded in seven timeless Jewish principles, Conversations With My Rabbi invites readers to ponder, question, and define their own beliefs as they follow Nikki and Eli’s tender, sometimes funny, sometimes fierce, yet always deeply human conversations that speak to all who seek meaning, moral clarity, and hope in their lives,” HarperCollins said in a statement.
Conversations With My Rabbi will be published simultaneously on May 26, 2026, by Harper Influence in the United States, HarperCollins Australia, and Harper Nonfiction in the United Kingdom.
At its core, the book is about “two humans on a spiritual and secular journey that's continuing beyond the death of one of the authors," Sharkey explained. For despite that death, "the message lives on through their alternating chapters and the light that will forever illuminate the ancient wisdom translated for a modern audience in the pages of this extraordinary conversation and teaching.”
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