In the aftermath of such a major tragedy as the attack on Bondi Beach that left 15 dead and dozens of others injured, the balance between reflection and action is a difficult one to strike.

Is there any use in trying to understand how something so senseless could occur? Yes, we must. The public demands it. The grieving Jewish community deserves it.

Annie, left, and Arieh, centre, mourn at the funeral of their son Dan Elkayam, a young French Jewish man who was killed in the mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach.Credit: AP

And something must change. But what should be done, and what is acceptable to do, to guarantee, to the extent one ever can, that such a tragedy never occurs again?

A lingering question around the circumstances that led to the events on December 14 is to what extent the police were prepared for the attack.

Max Maddison, Elias Visontay and Riley........

© The Sydney Morning Herald