On October 2, 2025, the tight-knit Jewish community of Manchester, UK, was shaken to its core when a synagogue in Crumpsall became the site of a deadly attack. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar—a day of reflection, prayer, and atonement. Instead, it became a day marked by violence, fear, and loss.
The attack began when an assailant rammed the synagogue’s gates with a car and then, wielding a knife, charged at worshippers inside. The swift action of a 78-year-old volunteer security guard, who immediately raised the alarm with police, likely prevented an even greater tragedy. Yet, the toll was devastating: Adrian Daulby, a volunteer, and Melvin Cravitz, a security guard, lost their lives defending the congregation. Three others were seriously injured in the chaos that followed.
According to BBC, the response from the community was immediate. Volunteers and private security guards, some wearing stab-proof vests, held back the doors, buying precious moments for others to escape or seek shelter. These acts of courage were not isolated—high security has long been a feature of Jewish life in the UK, with many synagogues, schools, and community centers relying on volunteers from within their own ranks to provide protection.
For decades, Jewish institutions across Britain have lived with the reality of potential threats. The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity dedicated to safeguarding Jewish sites, has played a pivotal role in this ongoing effort. Volunteers routinely do security shifts, often in partnership with local police forces. Dave Rich, CST’s director of policy, explained to BBC, “Police will never have the resources to protect every Jewish building, so we have this partnership providing collectively a security infrastructure for the Jewish community which sadly has been in place for many years.”
The need for such vigilance has only grown. Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza, antisemitic incidents in the UK have soared to record levels. The CST recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents in just the first half of 2025, with 51% of them referencing or being linked to Israel, Hamas, or the conflict in Gaza. Greater Manchester Police reported 446 antisemitic incidents in the year leading up to September 2024—a steep rise from previous years.
Despite these efforts, the events in Manchester showed the limits of even the most robust community security measures. Sir Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, told BBC that his force had “very significantly” stepped up patrols around Jewish sites in the aftermath. However, he acknowledged that such an intensive presence could not be sustained indefinitely. The challenge, he suggested, is far from temporary.
Community leaders are now asking what more can be done. Marc Levy, head of Greater Manchester’s Jewish Representative Council, voiced frustration to BBC: “Our fears and concerns have regularly been diminished and not acted upon.” Jewish leaders across the UK are calling for a stronger government response—not just more security, but tangible action to address the root causes of antisemitism.
The feeling of vulnerability is not unique to the UK. In France, which is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community—about half a million people—armed police have been a regular presence outside synagogues and schools for years. After the Manchester attack, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called on police to provide “all available means to ensure a visible presence.” Robert Ejnes, executive head of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (Crif), told BBC, “The level of threat has increased so much that every Jewish family is worried for their children when they go outside, especially if they wear a kippah and a Magen David. It’s probably at the highest level ever known.”
Back in the UK, the emotional impact of the attack reverberated through families and communities. Rabbi Albert Chait, who leads the Leeds United Hebrew Congregation, described to BBC how his nine-year-old daughter was “physically shaking with fear” after hearing about the Manchester attack. “Daddy, why do they hate the Jews?” she asked—a question that left the rabbi grappling for answers.
For many, the trauma was compounded by the sense of uncertainty about the future. Amanda, a mother in north London whose parents live in Manchester, faced a difficult decision the day after the attack: should she send her daughters to their Jewish school, JFS? When the headteacher sent a message promising beefed-up security, Amanda said she “felt reassured.” Yet, the question lingered—was it still safe for Jews to live openly in the UK?
Despite the fear, the community’s response has been one of resilience and defiance. Rabbi Daniel Walker of Heaton Park synagogue urged his congregation to “show we are not cowed. As Jews we always rebuild. We always recover, we always return stronger.” Jonathan Wittenberg, senior rabbi of the Masorti movement, echoed this sentiment: “Judaism is a deeply resilient religion.”
Many families, however, are wrestling with difficult questions about their future in the UK. Amanda recounted her younger daughter asking, “Do you think we should move?” Her answer was uncertain: “I feel really sad and unsettled and both my daughters do.” Yet, in north Manchester, Raphi Bloom’s stance was unequivocal: “We’re not going anywhere, we’re not Jews with trembling knees, we are proud Mancunian Jews.”
If anything, the attack has galvanized the community. Dave Rich of the CST told BBC that since the attack, there has been a surge of volunteers signing up to help protect Jewish institutions. “That’s not a sign of running away,” he said. In Leeds, Rabbi Chait encouraged his congregation via social media: “This Shabbat you have every excuse not to go [to synagogue], but you have also every excuse to go. Don’t let them win.”
The story of Manchester’s Jewish community is not just one of tragedy, but of steadfastness in the face of adversity. As one mother told BBC, when her daughter asked if it was still safe to be Jewish in the UK, she replied with the words of an old Hebrew song: “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is to have no fear at all.”
In a time of rising antisemitism and uncertainty, the UK’s Jewish community continues to stand its ground—determined, vigilant, and unbowed.
