Deadly Attack Outside Manchester Synagogue on Yom Kippur
A shocking and deeply disturbing incident unfolded in Manchester on Thursday morning, where an attack outside a synagogue left two people dead and three others seriously injured. The violence took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, right in the midst of Yom Kippur — the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
According to Greater Manchester Police, the assailant drove a car into pedestrians before stabbing a man who was believed to be a security guard at the synagogue. Witnesses reported scenes of panic as worshippers, many of them elderly, were hurried away by officers. The attacker was shot by police shortly after, but authorities initially could not confirm his death because of suspicious items found on him, leading to bomb disposal units being deployed to secure the area.
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Video footage verified by Reuters showed police confronting the suspect, shouting warnings, before firing when he attempted to get up again. One bystander described how the man was trying to smash his way into the synagogue, using a knife against the windows, while congregants were trapped inside. Swift police action was credited with preventing him from entering the building, where a large group had gathered for Yom Kippur prayers.
The scale of the tragedy has shaken the community. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was attending meetings in Copenhagen, cut his visit short and announced additional police deployments to synagogues across the country. He said he was “appalled” by the attack, calling it all the more horrific because it took place on Yom Kippur. Britain’s King Charles also issued a statement saying he was “deeply shocked and saddened,” extending sympathy to the Jewish community and praising emergency responders for their swift actions.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham reassured residents that the immediate danger was over, but acknowledged the trauma such an attack causes. He urged solidarity with the Jewish community, who were observing their most sacred day of reflection and atonement. London Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed those words, promising stronger security measures at synagogues and admitting that many Jewish people already felt unsafe, a reality he called “heartbreaking.”
The incident comes against a backdrop of rising antisemitism in Britain. In 2024, over 3,500 antisemitic incidents were recorded, marking the second-worst year on record. Tensions have been heightened globally since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Jewish organizations, including the Community Security Trust, condemned the Manchester attack as an appalling act of violence targeted at worshippers on their holiest day.
For those who witnessed the events, the images of chaos, emergency crews in protective gear, and congregants weeping outside the synagogue will not soon be forgotten. While investigations continue, what remains certain is that the attack has left a community in mourning and a nation on high alert, determined to protect its places of worship from further harm.
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