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| ‘We are one community, this will not break us’: Manchester reacts to synagogue attack | ‘We are one community, this will not break us’: Manchester reacts to synagogue attack |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Residents come together to insist their diverse neighbourhood will stick together | Residents come together to insist their diverse neighbourhood will stick together |
| Manchester synagogue stabbing – latest updates | Manchester synagogue stabbing – latest updates |
| “These people are sent to divide us, but they won’t,” said Barry Moore, as he walked his dog near the site of the terror attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester. | “These people are sent to divide us, but they won’t,” said Barry Moore, as he walked his dog near the site of the terror attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester. |
| On the gently sloping street where two people were killed and four seriously wounded, neighbours from different faiths pulled together. | On the gently sloping street where two people were killed and four seriously wounded, neighbours from different faiths pulled together. |
| Jewish residents evacuated from their homes on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, chatted with Muslim neighbours behind the cordon on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, sharing bottles of water, blankets and best wishes. | Jewish residents evacuated from their homes on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, chatted with Muslim neighbours behind the cordon on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, sharing bottles of water, blankets and best wishes. |
| Black and white residents came to the scene to express their shock and sadness at the horror that unfolded on Thursday morning while police investigated two locations – the synagogue and a nearby residential address they had cordoned off. | Black and white residents came to the scene to express their shock and sadness at the horror that unfolded on Thursday morning while police investigated two locations – the synagogue and a nearby residential address they had cordoned off. |
| As a Christian church set up a stall to hand out food to strangers, Moore, 55, remembered the last attack that rocked his “great community” – the 2003 murder of police officer Stephen Oake by the terrorist Kamel Bourgass. | As a Christian church set up a stall to hand out food to strangers, Moore, 55, remembered the last attack that rocked his “great community” – the 2003 murder of police officer Stephen Oake by the terrorist Kamel Bourgass. |
| He added: “I’m a retired window cleaner so I know everyone and everyone knows me. We are not going to be more twitchy in this area. The last time something significant like this happened was when the police officer was killed down the road. This brings back memories of that. We pulled together then and we’ll pull together now.” | He added: “I’m a retired window cleaner so I know everyone and everyone knows me. We are not going to be more twitchy in this area. The last time something significant like this happened was when the police officer was killed down the road. This brings back memories of that. We pulled together then and we’ll pull together now.” |
| Crumpsall is a very diverse area, one of a series of neighbourhoods to the north of Manchester city centre at the heart of one the UK’s biggest and most vibrant Jewish communities. | Crumpsall is a very diverse area, one of a series of neighbourhoods to the north of Manchester city centre at the heart of one the UK’s biggest and most vibrant Jewish communities. |
| Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses are at the centre of life here – as are the security guards and terror drills that have become routine against a backdrop of rising antisemitism, hate incidents and terror threats. | Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses are at the centre of life here – as are the security guards and terror drills that have become routine against a backdrop of rising antisemitism, hate incidents and terror threats. |
| “Anywhere there’s Jews, unfortunately heightened security is needed,” said Josh Aronson, 39, a Jewish journalist and disability rights activist. | “Anywhere there’s Jews, unfortunately heightened security is needed,” said Josh Aronson, 39, a Jewish journalist and disability rights activist. |
| He was evacuated from his home, yards from the scene of the attack, and was still waiting in the street with his wife, Esther, hours later. They had no information about when it would be safe for them and their immediate neighbours to return. | He was evacuated from his home, yards from the scene of the attack, and was still waiting in the street with his wife, Esther, hours later. They had no information about when it would be safe for them and their immediate neighbours to return. |
| Sam Martin, 41, walked to the scene to share his best wishes and said: “It is a very sad day, my deepest condolences to the Jewish people. We are one community, we are multicultural. Different faces, different religions and backgrounds, and we are one united community and this will not break us. | Sam Martin, 41, walked to the scene to share his best wishes and said: “It is a very sad day, my deepest condolences to the Jewish people. We are one community, we are multicultural. Different faces, different religions and backgrounds, and we are one united community and this will not break us. |
| “I have Jewish, Muslim and Sikh neighbours and I’m a Christian myself. I’ve passed that synagogue every day for eight years and I’ve seen nothing but kindness and love. It’s a very peaceful neighbourhood, with very good neighbours, and I think the community will come back together and heal – this will only make us stronger.” | “I have Jewish, Muslim and Sikh neighbours and I’m a Christian myself. I’ve passed that synagogue every day for eight years and I’ve seen nothing but kindness and love. It’s a very peaceful neighbourhood, with very good neighbours, and I think the community will come back together and heal – this will only make us stronger.” |
| Amid the scenes of solidarity, Ari, a 23-year-old who had been fasting for Yom Kippur, struck a warning note. | Amid the scenes of solidarity, Ari, a 23-year-old who had been fasting for Yom Kippur, struck a warning note. |
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| He described how his mother broke down when she heard what had happened and said it was his second brush with “absolute disaster” in two years. | He described how his mother broke down when she heard what had happened and said it was his second brush with “absolute disaster” in two years. |
| He added: “I was in Israel for 7 October. I had meant to go to the Nova festival. But I went to a more religious festival up in the hills instead. For this to happen on your doorstep, when I’m trying to give my day to God, is shocking. | He added: “I was in Israel for 7 October. I had meant to go to the Nova festival. But I went to a more religious festival up in the hills instead. For this to happen on your doorstep, when I’m trying to give my day to God, is shocking. |
| “I think Tommy Robinson will have a field day with this – and, going forward, I think people will see the Palestine marches for what they are. I’m a big, big fan of Tommy Robinson. He loves us and he supports us, I wish him all the best. We expect things like this to happen, because we are a hated nation. | “I think Tommy Robinson will have a field day with this – and, going forward, I think people will see the Palestine marches for what they are. I’m a big, big fan of Tommy Robinson. He loves us and he supports us, I wish him all the best. We expect things like this to happen, because we are a hated nation. |
| “My neighbour is Muslim, but as soon as you take politics out of it, we get on fine. But there will be divides after this. We will look at them and they will look at us. I feel safer in Israel.” | “My neighbour is Muslim, but as soon as you take politics out of it, we get on fine. But there will be divides after this. We will look at them and they will look at us. I feel safer in Israel.” |
| Moore said: “The way things are going, the country is so divided, so political. I hate all this flag-waving. They say it’s about the hotels and protecting girls but you just know they can turn around on people who look like us. But this is a great community. My neighbours are Jewish and we get on great.” | |
| Aronson said: “I’m someone who fights for dialogue, for relationships between Jewish and non-Jewish, that’s my whole lifestyle. I hope that people wake up and say OK, we need to start talking to each other, start learning about the different challenges, the significant challenges we all face in life. | Aronson said: “I’m someone who fights for dialogue, for relationships between Jewish and non-Jewish, that’s my whole lifestyle. I hope that people wake up and say OK, we need to start talking to each other, start learning about the different challenges, the significant challenges we all face in life. |
| “A lot of the dialogue stopped because of the current conflict in the Middle East, I have friends who have left me because of it. Now we’re all in shock. I’ve reported on synagogue attacks around the world, but I never thought it would be on my doorstep, that I’d get evacuated from my home. It’s horrific.” | “A lot of the dialogue stopped because of the current conflict in the Middle East, I have friends who have left me because of it. Now we’re all in shock. I’ve reported on synagogue attacks around the world, but I never thought it would be on my doorstep, that I’d get evacuated from my home. It’s horrific.” |