It’s just gone 7.30pm – and outside a synagogue in north Manchester, we’ve heard the shofar, a ceremonial horn, being blown to mark the end of the long day of prayers.
The streets, which had been so quiet all day, fill with people and families.
We’re just minutes away from where the attack took place.
But people haven’t had their phones on in synagogue – and we find ourselves in the slightly surreal position of having to tell people what happened to members of their community, just a few roads away.
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«Did many people get hurt?» Rachel, in her 70s, asks me.
I tell her two have died.
She gasps and says: «My gosh. It’s the holiest day of the year.
«Very, very frightening. We’re not safe.»
Read more:
Witnesses describe how attack unfolded
What we know about synagogue attack
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Earlier in the day on these streets, we saw additional police patrols, with officers telling us they were here to reassure members of the public.
But people are accustomed to seeing security here.
Both paid and volunteer security staff, in their hi-vis jackets, are a permanent fixture outside every synagogue.
It’s to help protect a community that, even before this attack, has felt under threat.
‘The security is not the solution,’ this man said
«The security is not the solution,» one man tells me as he heads home from prayers. «Those who really want to do [something like this], they will do it with lots of security, it doesn’t matter.»
Among everyone we spoke to, there was a sense of shock at what had happened, but perhaps not necessarily surprise amid rising acts of antisemitism in the UK.
David Yehudi
David Yehudi and the rabbi he studied with said it had felt like a long time coming.
«As a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, I feel as if this is before 1935 again,» he says. «The feeling is prevalent worldwide.» Those who are truly committed to pursuing [such a thing] will do so with utmost caution, regardless of any obstacles.
In our conversations with various individuals, there was a collective sense of shock following the recent events, although the increasing instances of antisemitism in the UK had somewhat prepared them for such occurrences.
David Yehudi, along with the rabbi he had been studying with, expressed that the recent incident had been a long time coming. «As a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, it feels like we are reliving the events of pre-1935,» he remarked. «This sentiment is palpable worldwide.»
Additionally, the rabbi highlighted the absence of global support against antisemitism, noting the failure of the United Nations to uphold its founding principle of ‘never again’. He emphasized the prevailing sense of insecurity among the Jewish community, likening it to the unsafe conditions prior to World War II.
The atmosphere on the solemn day was further intensified by the rabbi’s poignant question: «Where is the United Nations?»
As the evening approached outside a synagogue in north Manchester, the somber sound of the shofar echoed through the streets, signaling the end of a day filled with prayers. Despite the tranquility of the day, the community gathered outside, united in response to recent events.
The proximity of the attack added a surreal layer to the evening, with many synagogue attendees unaware of the tragic events that had unfolded just a few streets away.
Rachel, a septuagenarian, was visibly shaken upon learning the news. «Did many people get hurt?» she inquired, to which the response of two casualties elicited a gasp from her. «My gosh. It’s the holiest day of the year,» she exclaimed, encapsulating the widespread fear and unease following the incident. «We are in danger.»
For more information:
– Witnesses describe how the attack unfolded
– What we know about the synagogue attack
👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈
Earlier in the day on these streets, we saw additional police patrols, with officers telling us they were here to reassure members of the public. But people are accustomed to seeing security here. Both paid and volunteer security staff, in their hi-vis jackets, are a permanent fixture outside every synagogue. It’s to help protect a community that, even before this attack, has felt under threat.
«The security is not the solution,» one man tells me as he heads home from prayers. «Those who really want to do [something like this], they will do it with lots of security, it doesn’t matter.»
Among everyone we spoke to, there was a sense of shock at what had happened, but perhaps not necessarily surprise amid rising acts of antisemitism in the UK.
David Yehudi and the rabbi he studied with said it had felt like a long time coming. «As a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, I feel as if this is before 1935 again,» he says. «That’s the overwhelming feeling all over the world.»
The rabbi adds: «The United Nations was set up with the intention of ‘never again’, and where is the United Nations? In terms of the global support against antisemitism. It’s just not there anymore. We are as unsafe as we were before the war.»
It is a shocking thing to hear, on this, the most solemn of days.
SOURCE
Por Michael Bunting
“I’m Michael Bunting, Communications Director with over 20 years of experience in corporate reputation, crisis management, and digital strategy. I have led teams in multinational companies and agencies, advised executives, and designed high-impact strategies. I am driven by transparency, innovation, and leveraging communication as a competitive advantage.”