Credit: Greater Manchester Police
On the day when Jews around the world gather in fasting and prayer, the Jewish community of Manchester was struck by tragedy. On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the silence of faith was shattered by the violence of a terrorist attack.
The attack took place outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation on Middleton Road, when a man identified as Al-Shamie drove his car into worshippers who had gathered for the ceremony. Two people lost their lives: Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. Three others remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Emotional accounts from survivors say the tragedy could have been even worse if not for the courage of Rabbi Daniel Walker and the synagogue’s security team, who reacted quickly and prevented further deaths.
The attack rekindles a painful reality: since the massacre of October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza, antisemitism has been rising at an alarming rate around the world. For many, this attack, occurring precisely on the holiest day of Judaism, symbolizes an escalation of hatred that can no longer be ignored.
