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| 'Shocked but not surprised': Jewish community reacts to synagogue attack | 'Shocked but not surprised': Jewish community reacts to synagogue attack |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Nathan Kedem said he was "not exactly surprised" by the attack | Nathan Kedem said he was "not exactly surprised" by the attack |
| Members of the Jewish community have said they are "shocked but not surprised" following the attack at a synagogue in Manchester. | Members of the Jewish community have said they are "shocked but not surprised" following the attack at a synagogue in Manchester. |
| Two people died and three others are in hospital after a man drove a car at members of the public before stabbing people outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday morning. | Two people died and three others are in hospital after a man drove a car at members of the public before stabbing people outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday morning. |
| Police named the victims as Adrian Daulby, 53, and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz and later revealed that Mr Daulby died after he was hit by police gunfire as officers tried to stop the attacker. | |
| Nathan Kedem, who lives in the area, said he was "not exactly surprised" by the attack, and added: "It was a difficult night last night, I barely managed to sleep. It brought it all to the doorstep." | Nathan Kedem, who lives in the area, said he was "not exactly surprised" by the attack, and added: "It was a difficult night last night, I barely managed to sleep. It brought it all to the doorstep." |
| He and his family moved to the UK from Israel 20 years ago for security reasons. "I am really confused now - where is it safe?" he said. | He and his family moved to the UK from Israel 20 years ago for security reasons. "I am really confused now - where is it safe?" he said. |
| Mr Kedem used to volunteer for the Community Securities Trust, helping with security for his children's school when they were younger. | Mr Kedem used to volunteer for the Community Securities Trust, helping with security for his children's school when they were younger. |
| "When you stand on the corner of the street it does come to your mind, it's only a matter of someone deciding to take action in a fraction of a second and there's nothing you can do." | "When you stand on the corner of the street it does come to your mind, it's only a matter of someone deciding to take action in a fraction of a second and there's nothing you can do." |
| Follow live: One of victims killed in Manchester synagogue attack was hit by police gunfire, chief constable says | Follow live: One of victims killed in Manchester synagogue attack was hit by police gunfire, chief constable says |
| Mr Kedem said: "Even 20 years ago there were hints here and there of antisemitism, and especially in the last couple of years. | Mr Kedem said: "Even 20 years ago there were hints here and there of antisemitism, and especially in the last couple of years. |
| "Just two months ago taking a taxi to the airport the driver made quite a few anti-Jewish comments which quite shocked us, not realising we were Jewish." | "Just two months ago taking a taxi to the airport the driver made quite a few anti-Jewish comments which quite shocked us, not realising we were Jewish." |
| Anna attended the vigil in Crumpsall with her children Naftali and Avital | Anna attended the vigil in Crumpsall with her children Naftali and Avital |
| Anna, whose husband is a community rabbi in St Anne's and who attended the vigil in Crumpsall with her children on Friday afternoon, echoed Mr Kadem's sentiments saying she was "shocked but not surprised". | Anna, whose husband is a community rabbi in St Anne's and who attended the vigil in Crumpsall with her children on Friday afternoon, echoed Mr Kadem's sentiments saying she was "shocked but not surprised". |
| "You could feel the tension in the air building since October 2023, it's almost something that's been waiting to happen," she said. | "You could feel the tension in the air building since October 2023, it's almost something that's been waiting to happen," she said. |
| "Because the Jewish population is small in size we feel like a family, and someone has hurt us. | "Because the Jewish population is small in size we feel like a family, and someone has hurt us. |
| "We need to increase our positive actions and hopefully the government will do something about the rising antisemitism. | "We need to increase our positive actions and hopefully the government will do something about the rising antisemitism. |
| "I know people are feeling like it's like pre-1930s Nazi Germany here and I am starting to feel that way myself." | "I know people are feeling like it's like pre-1930s Nazi Germany here and I am starting to feel that way myself." |
| People attended a vigil in Crumpsall on Friday afternoon | People attended a vigil in Crumpsall on Friday afternoon |
| A man also at the vigil said: "This was bound to happen, it was waiting to happen – I didn't think it would happen on my doorstep but it was waiting to happen." | A man also at the vigil said: "This was bound to happen, it was waiting to happen – I didn't think it would happen on my doorstep but it was waiting to happen." |
| Others in attendance spoke about the strength of the community, where people of all different races and religions live alongside each other. | Others in attendance spoke about the strength of the community, where people of all different races and religions live alongside each other. |
| One man said: "On my road there are people of every nationality, every race, and we all get on. We're not idiots. If something bad happens the community will turn out, it's a great community round here." | One man said: "On my road there are people of every nationality, every race, and we all get on. We're not idiots. If something bad happens the community will turn out, it's a great community round here." |
| A woman added: " It doesn't matter what religion you are, what's wrong is wrong. It shouldn't have happened, loss of life is just really unfair. We're here to show our support and our love to everyone that's here today." | A woman added: " It doesn't matter what religion you are, what's wrong is wrong. It shouldn't have happened, loss of life is just really unfair. We're here to show our support and our love to everyone that's here today." |
| David Elkouby lives across the road from where the attack happened | David Elkouby lives across the road from where the attack happened |
| Sam, an Orthodox Jewish man living behind the synagogue, said he felt "shock and horror but not surprise". | Sam, an Orthodox Jewish man living behind the synagogue, said he felt "shock and horror but not surprise". |
| "The way things have been going recently, we have been targeted just for looking Jewish," he said. | "The way things have been going recently, we have been targeted just for looking Jewish," he said. |
| "We have had people shouting at us from their cars, things like 'Jew' or 'Free Palestine', or just shouting to make us jump. At the moment we are scared." | "We have had people shouting at us from their cars, things like 'Jew' or 'Free Palestine', or just shouting to make us jump. At the moment we are scared." |
| He said he recognised Melvin Cravitz when he saw the news reported. | He said he recognised Melvin Cravitz when he saw the news reported. |
| "We used to see him around the neighbourhood and he would stop and chat, he was a very gentle, nice man." | "We used to see him around the neighbourhood and he would stop and chat, he was a very gentle, nice man." |
| David Eklouby, an Orthodox Jewish man who also lives close by and who is part of a security group based in Broughton, said: "To be honest with you I do feel safe, but that's only because we have a lot of support from our neighbours around us." | David Eklouby, an Orthodox Jewish man who also lives close by and who is part of a security group based in Broughton, said: "To be honest with you I do feel safe, but that's only because we have a lot of support from our neighbours around us." |
| Melvin Cravitz was named by the police as one of the people killed in the attack | Melvin Cravitz was named by the police as one of the people killed in the attack |
| A Jewish woman and a Catholic woman held hands as they visited St Anne's Catholic Church in Crumpsall earlier. | A Jewish woman and a Catholic woman held hands as they visited St Anne's Catholic Church in Crumpsall earlier. |
| Esther Seymour, a Jewish woman, who went to the church with her friend Celeste Cavanagh, a Catholic, said seeing so many people of different faiths attend "warmed her heart". Esther's son has been dating Celeste's daughter, who is a member of the church congregation. | Esther Seymour, a Jewish woman, who went to the church with her friend Celeste Cavanagh, a Catholic, said seeing so many people of different faiths attend "warmed her heart". Esther's son has been dating Celeste's daughter, who is a member of the church congregation. |
| Esther told BBC Radio Manchester: "It feels like a lot of people are against Jewish people, and it just felt really nice coming here and seeing so many people of other faiths. | Esther told BBC Radio Manchester: "It feels like a lot of people are against Jewish people, and it just felt really nice coming here and seeing so many people of other faiths. |
| "I've seen Muslim people here which is so nice, I feel so bad for how they must be feeling as well, I really do, because we all want peace, we're cousins according to the religion. | "I've seen Muslim people here which is so nice, I feel so bad for how they must be feeling as well, I really do, because we all want peace, we're cousins according to the religion. |
| "The majority of people want to be together, we want to be in peace, we want to live side by side." | "The majority of people want to be together, we want to be in peace, we want to live side by side." |
| Esther Seymour, a Jewish woman, (left) and Celeste Cavanagh, a Catholic, (right) held hands as they lit candles at a Crumpsall church | Esther Seymour, a Jewish woman, (left) and Celeste Cavanagh, a Catholic, (right) held hands as they lit candles at a Crumpsall church |
| Celeste said: "We turn to faith when things like this happen, and I wanted to obviously meet Esther here to light candles and show that we are standing side by side. | Celeste said: "We turn to faith when things like this happen, and I wanted to obviously meet Esther here to light candles and show that we are standing side by side. |
| "54 years this has been my church, 54 years I have lived in Crumpsall, and we have lived side by side with other cultures for all them years, and we can't allow this to be destroyed. | "54 years this has been my church, 54 years I have lived in Crumpsall, and we have lived side by side with other cultures for all them years, and we can't allow this to be destroyed. |
| Esther said she cried after seeing people of all faiths turn up at the church. | Esther said she cried after seeing people of all faiths turn up at the church. |
| "Most people care, we don't always hear it, some people are sometimes scared to say it that we care, because nobody knows what's the right thing to do our say, but just coming here shows people do." | "Most people care, we don't always hear it, some people are sometimes scared to say it that we care, because nobody knows what's the right thing to do our say, but just coming here shows people do." |
| People from across Crumpsall have been lighting candles for peace | People from across Crumpsall have been lighting candles for peace |
| Zippi, who lives near to the synagogue on Middleton Road, told BBC Radio 5 Live she and her children regularly walk down the road nearby to visit family on Friday nights. | Zippi, who lives near to the synagogue on Middleton Road, told BBC Radio 5 Live she and her children regularly walk down the road nearby to visit family on Friday nights. |
| She said they "don't feel welcome" in the area, and that she will now "rethink whether there's a future for us as a family". | She said they "don't feel welcome" in the area, and that she will now "rethink whether there's a future for us as a family". |
| "My five-year-old asked me yesterday, when we had four helicopters above our heads all day, he said 'is this what happens every Yom Kippur?' I said no, this isn't normal," she said. | "My five-year-old asked me yesterday, when we had four helicopters above our heads all day, he said 'is this what happens every Yom Kippur?' I said no, this isn't normal," she said. |
| "You have to try and explain to them that this isn't the norm and this isn't the way we should be living." | "You have to try and explain to them that this isn't the norm and this isn't the way we should be living." |
| Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis told the BBC "right now, our hearts are shattered". | Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis told the BBC "right now, our hearts are shattered". |
| This is a very dark time, not just for Jews of Britain but for all of our society because this wasn't merely an attack against Jews, it was an attack against the values of our society," he said. | This is a very dark time, not just for Jews of Britain but for all of our society because this wasn't merely an attack against Jews, it was an attack against the values of our society," he said. |
| Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. | Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. |