On a stormy Friday in Manchester, hundreds gathered outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, united by grief and a fierce sense of defiance. Only a day earlier, on October 2, 2025, this place of worship had become the site of a shocking terrorist attack: a knife-wielding assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, rammed his car into worshippers and attempted to force his way inside, killing two men and injuring three others during the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. The attack, which unfolded in the city’s Crumpsall neighborhood, has left Manchester’s Jewish community feeling both targeted and let down by a society they say has failed to protect them from rising antisemitism.
According to the Associated Press and BBC, the assault began at 09:31 BST when Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue. Security staff confronted him, but he left—only to return minutes later in a vehicle, which he drove directly at people gathered outside. He then leapt from the car, brandishing a knife, and began a violent rampage. Eyewitness Shah described the scene as "traumatising," recounting how the attacker "just started going on a bit of a rampage." Another witness, Gareth Tonge, saw "a man bleeding out on the floor" and the attacker "stabbing the window, trying to get in [the building]."
Inside, quick-thinking worshippers and security staff acted with "immediate bravery," according to Greater Manchester Police, holding the synagogue doors shut as Al-Shamie tried to batter them down—throwing heavy plant pots and body-charging the entrance. Rabbi Daniel Walker, present during the chaos, described seeing "a terrorist trying to batter his way into the synagogue." He credited the community’s swift response for preventing even greater tragedy: "If one particular gentleman hadn't acted as quickly as he did and got the doors locked I can't imagine what would have happened," Rabbi Walker told the BBC.
The attack left two men dead: 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, a worshipper, and 53-year-old Adrian Daulby, who died after being inadvertently struck by police gunfire while helping to hold the doors shut. Daulby’s family called him a "hero" who died "during the act of courage to save others." Cravitz’s family described him as a "kind, caring" man devoted to his loved ones. Three others were seriously injured, including Yoni Finlay, who was also helping to barricade the entrance and suffered a gunshot wound. Two additional victims sustained injuries from stabbing and being struck by the suspect’s car.
Police responded within seven minutes of the initial emergency call, declaring a major incident. Officers confronted Al-Shamie, issuing warnings before opening fire when he refused to comply and continued to pose a threat. A bomb disposal unit was deployed after suspicious items were found around the suspect’s waist, but the device turned out to be fake. The national counter-terrorism response included the deployment of an SAS helicopter, code-named "Blue Thunder." The suspect was shot dead at the scene by 09:38 BST.
Greater Manchester Police have since arrested six other individuals on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses, though some have been released without further action. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities exploring whether Al-Shamie was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology. As of October 4, police said the full circumstances would take time to clarify. Al-Shamie had a non-counter-terror criminal history and was on police bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack. His family issued a statement expressing "deep shock and sorrow" and fully distancing themselves from his actions: "Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort."
The timing and setting of the attack—Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish religious calendar—deeply wounded the community. Yom Kippur is a solemn day of fasting, prayer, and reflection, when Jews seek atonement and hope for their fate to be sealed for the coming year. Many who do not regularly attend synagogue make a point of doing so on this day, making the violence all the more horrific. "The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific," Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement, vowing to do "everything" to protect Jewish people and promising a more visible police presence at synagogues nationwide.
The attack has amplified longstanding concerns among British Jews about rising antisemitism. According to the Community Security Trust, antisemitic incidents in the UK soared to 1,521 in the first half of 2025, up from 965 in the same period of 2024. Many in Manchester’s Jewish community say they feel forgotten by politicians and society at large. Simon Burton, a local resident, told the Associated Press: "We are Jews, but we are English. We have lived in Manchester for 150 years. We belong here. We feel that, as a community, we are not always listened to. We feel let down." Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis echoed these sentiments, describing the attack as "the tragic result of an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, campuses, on social media and elsewhere."
The broader social climate has grown tense, with pro-Palestinian protests in London proceeding even as Manchester’s Jewish community mourned. The group Palestine Action, recently labeled a terrorist organization, defied police requests to cancel a demonstration, insisting that "canceling peaceful protests lets terror win." These protests have been largely peaceful, but some Jewish residents say they feel threatened by chants and rhetoric. The Israeli prime minister and his supporters have accused critics of Israel’s policies of antisemitism, while others argue that such accusations are used to stifle legitimate criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza.
Despite the pain and fear, the attack has also inspired moments of solidarity. Neighbors of all faiths banded together at the vigil, united in condemnation of the violence. Sham Raja, a local businessman and British Muslim, told the Associated Press: "The Jewish community, obviously, they are very upset at what’s happened, and there’s no room for the antisemitic. And also as a British Muslim, I fully support the Jewish community and work with them shoulder to shoulder." Josh Aronson, a Jewish resident, described hugging his Muslim and Christian neighbors in a moment of shared humanity.
Still, the atmosphere at Friday’s vigil was tense, especially when Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy—recently foreign secretary and seen as an architect of the government’s criticism of Israel’s offensive in Gaza—was introduced. He was met with shouts of "not today" and "shame on you." Mark Adlestone, chair of the Jewish Representative Council in Greater Manchester, eventually calmed the crowd, acknowledging their feelings.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed their shock and sadness at the attack, while the newly named Archbishop of Canterbury called on the Church to stand with the Jewish community, saying hatred and racism "cannot be allowed to tear us apart." Imam Qari Asim, co-chairman of the British Muslim Network, emphasized that "the bloodshed and violence in the Middle East... must not be allowed to poison our streets in Britain."
As Orthodox Jews hurried to prepare for the Sabbath, many expressed a determination to persevere. Issaac Friedlander summed up the community’s resolve: "We’re not going to cower away. We’re not going to hide. ... We’re going to carry on with our lives." The events in Manchester have left scars, but also a sense of unity and an unwavering refusal to be cowed by hatred.
