About 800 people gathered at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester for a poignant memorial service honoring the victims and survivors of last year's deadly terrorist attack. The service, attended by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner, took place ahead of the religious anniversary of the tragedy to allow the community to reflect before the upcoming High Holy Days.
On 2 October 2025, attacker Jihad al-Shamie targeted the synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed while trying to defend their place of worship, and three others were injured. During the packed service on Monday, two seats remained empty in the congregation, each bearing the name of one of the two men who lost their lives.
Speaking on behalf of the family of Melvin Cravitz, Sherelle Dresner described the "lonely" and "overwhelming" reality she and her family have faced since the attack. "I have heard this new existence be described by survivors and bereaved families of other terrorist attacks as a club that no-one wants to be a part of; a club that no-one would ever choose to belong to," she said. Dresner also revealed that she has been subjected to antisemitic abuse following the tragedy, warning that "these messages should worry us all, that there are people out there justifying his murder and blaming this on his religion." However, she expressed deep gratitude for those who risked their lives on that day, specifically praising a woman who ran "towards danger" to help Cravitz.
In his address to the congregation, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis spoke of the broader societal issues that fueled the violence. "The attacker came here feeling positive, comfortable in his ways, encouraged and inspired by a tone of deep antisemitism within our society," Mirvis said. He added a warning about the progression of bigotry: "We know so well how hateful thoughts can be translated into hate speech which, in turn, is only one step away from hate crime."
A royal message from King Charles, who had previously visited Heaton Park on 20 October 2025 and was welcomed by Rabbi Daniel Walker, was read at the beginning of the service. In the message, the King stated, "My wife and I hold all those whose lives were so tragically disrupted by that terrible day most closely in our thoughts and prayers." He added that "though the months have passed, the sense of shock and sorrow remains undiminished." The King specifically named those affected, saying, "The memory of those who lost their lives, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, and of those who were injured, Andrew Franks, Bernard Agyemang and Yoni Finlay, remain especially vivid in my mind." He concluded his message with the words: "Hatred can never prevail over our shared humanity."
Yoni Finlay, one of the three injured survivors, shared his harrowing experience of being hit by a stray police bullet while helping to barricade the synagogue doors. "An evil person tried to destroy us on Yom Kippur and together we have not let that evil win," Finlay told the congregation. He described lying on the floor in the foyer with four of his organs badly damaged by the bullet that passed through him, promising himself that he would survive. "But I could not do this on my own, and neither could the shul. We could only do this with the support of the people around us," he said, adding that the community's solidarity showed "rather than being stopped, we were more together than ever."
Despite the community's resilience, Finlay expressed deep concern over the current climate of safety. Speaking in a radio interview on the Today programme, he remarked, "I don't think things feel safer, I think we certainly live behind ever increasing gates, more security than we've ever had." He warned that "Jewish people are having to hide their identity" and shared that his own son, currently in college, has received death threats. This sentiment was echoed by Rabbi Daniel Walker, who noted prior to the service that the Jewish community actually feels less safe now than it did in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner addressed the congregation, connecting the Manchester tragedy to other "sickening terrorist attacks" globally. "These acts are a crisis for us all – they reflect the increase we've seen in obsessive, intense hatred of Jews," Rayner said, asserting that "any attack on Jews is an attack on all of us." She pledged that "together we can overcome and defeat antisemitism – and we will never rest, until every Jewish person is safe." Rayner called for a "whole of society approach" to root out this "poison," emphasizing the need to take on extremists and "bear down on those who seek to divide our communities."
Raphi Bloom, the chair of the Yom Kippur Commemoration, emphasized that the service was focused on both remembrance and resilience. He stated that the gathering was about "honouring Melvin and Adrian by ensuring that Jewish life continues to flourish." Bloom declared, "The wounds remain, but so does our spirit," sending a clear message that the community would not be intimidated, defined by hatred, or "driven from the place we have called home for more than two centuries." He asserted: "As Jews we will stand tall, united, proud and strong."
The memorial service also featured speeches from Alan Levy, who assisted in barricading the doors against Jihad al-Shamie, and Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson. The timing of the service was chosen to align with the Jewish religious calendar rather than the secular anniversary of 2 October. Because the attack occurred on Yom Kippur, which falls in September this year, the community decided to hold the public memorial before the Jewish High Holy Days. Rabbi Walker explained that this timing was intended to ensure that those affected are remembered by wider society and to serve as a call for positive change in society.
