Today present’s Sarah Abo breaks down in tears reside on-air and is comforted by Jewish chief as he tells her and Karl Stefanovic ‘the unhealthy guys gained’ within the horrific Bondi terror assault

Sarah Abo broke down in tears on Tuesday morning as she and her Today show co-star Karl Stefanovic interviewed Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin following the horrific Bondi terror attack.

The TV star, 40, was overcome with emotion when Mr Ryvchin, who is the CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said ‘the bad guys won’.

‘A lot of the Jews in this country, the majority of them, are fairly secular. We determine to what extent we want to show our Jewishness,’ he said in the interview. 

‘Do we send our kids to a Jewish school or not? Do we put on a head covering or not? And now I think people will make choices to protect themselves. 

‘You know, you can talk about national pride and history and not letting the bad guys win, but the bad guys won. The bad guys came here to slaughter Jews.’

An emotional Sarah responded to the haunting declaration, telling Mr Ryvchin: ‘No, they didn’t. Don’t say that, Alex, because it breaks my heart to hear you say that.’ 

Sarah Abo broke down in tears on Tuesday morning as she and her Today show co-star Karl Stefanovic interviewed prominent Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin following the horrific Bondi terror attack 

‘I think in the long term, we’ll prevail. We always do. But at the moment, they have won. They came here to slaughter Jews and they were wildly successful at it,’ he continued. 

‘We came to live and to celebrate, and we’re now carrying away our dead. I think the way that we lived as Jews in this country was destroyed in a moment, and I don’t think it will ever be the same again. 

‘I don’t think we’ll ever feel that sense of peace and belonging and freedom just walking down Bondi Beach without a care in the world as a Jewish Australian, proudly, that’s gone now. 

‘People are staring off into the distance contemplating what their lives are going to look like.’

Sarah could be seen wiping away tears while Ryvchin spoke, before Karl stepped in to say: ‘My man, you are going through hell inside your ears right now. 

‘The trauma you’re seeing, the grief, you’re consoling. The direction, the leadership that you’re showing. It’s a lot, brother.’

Mr Ryvchin agreed he was going through a lot as Sarah continued to sniffle and attempted to hide her tears.

When she was unable to hold back, the media personality apologised for breaking down. 

Mr Ryvchin reached out to hug Sarah and offer her comfort

‘No, no, I really appreciate it. Thank you,’ Mr Ryvchin responded as he reached out to hug Sarah and offer her comfort.

‘It breaks my heart. You guys—everyone—deserves so much more than what you’ve experienced,’ she added.

‘It’s just horrific. We love you. We all do. We hope you know that. The community does feel this.’

Alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, stood on a footbridge connecting Campbell Parade to the Bondi Pavilion on Sunday night, firing shots into a crowd as people screamed and sprinted for cover.

The death toll remains at 15, with a further 25 people in hospitals across Sydney.

Thousands flocked to the world-famous beach on Monday night to pay their respects to the 15 innocent people who lost their lives.

Nine of them have been identified, including the youngest victim, 10 year old Matilda, who was shot in the stomach and died in hospital.

Her aunt Lina told Daily Mail she was so shocked at the news of Matilda’s death that she couldn’t stop screaming. 

‘I hope it’s never happening again to any family. We’re going through beyond devastation,’ she said.

Other victims included British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, beloved husband and father Tibor Weitzen, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, and retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher.

Mr Meagher, Randwick Rugby Club first-grade team manager, had been on assignment as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah By the Sea event when he was among those who died.

Sajid was shot dead by police during the massacre.

His son, Naveed, is in hospital under police guard after being shot. He is expected to survive and will ‘likely’ face criminal charges, police have revealed.