The Manchester synagogue that was the target of an Islamist terror attack on Yom Kippur on 2nd October has reopened. It comes as one of the hospitalised victims has now returned home.
Yoni Finlay was shot while helping to barricade the doors of the synagogue as the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, tried to break entry to where congregants were hiding. Yoni is believed to have been hit by a police bullet and underwent seven hours of surgery. This week it was announced that he has been discharged from hospital. Two other men wounded in the attack remain in hospital in a stable condition.
CUFI visits site of Manchester synagogue attack with message for Jewish community
Congregants of the Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue, together with members of the wider Manchester Jewish community, gathered inside the synagogue to celebrate the festivals of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
Rob Kanter, the synagogue’s vice-president, said there was “a really positive attendance” and that “a special effort was made to ensure that the Simchat Torah atmosphere was extra vibrant”.
Hundreds of people – including many of those who were present during the attack – joined together to dance with the Torah scrolls, a central tradition of Simchat Torah.
Rabbi Daniel Walker said: “I’ve been surprised by the question a few times, is the shul open?
“People seem to imagine that we wouldn’t be, we most definitely are. Many people were nervous of returning, understandably.
“And the vast majority were to able to come back and felt comfortable and happy and able to come back to this building. And this building remains that place of sanctity and holiness. And home.”
Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester and Region, whose father Alan Levy helped barricade the doors against the attacker, said: “The fact that such a holy place was attacked in a deadly terrorist atrocity is obviously something that resonates very personally with all of us.
“And there’s naturally grief and there is trauma and there is stress, but we need to try and move the narrative on now towards resilience and strength because we aren’t going anywhere and that is a message those who wish to do us harm need to hear loud and clear.”
Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were murdered in the attack and three others were seriously injured after the terrorist first drove a car into a security guard, stabbed a congregant, before attempting to force entry into the synagogue, which had been barricaded by members of the Jewish community.
