Yom Kippur attack kills 2 outside UK synagogue
Two Jewish men are dead after a suspect rammed his car into a group of worshipers outside of an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England
Police and ambulance services seen near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester, England, Oct. 2, 2025. Photo by Paul Currie / AFP / via Getty Images
By Ron Kampeas October 2, 2025
Two Jewish men are dead after a suspect rammed his car into a group of worshipers outside of an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Thursday morning before getting out and stabbing people in what police are calling a terrorist incident.
The men were identified by the BBC as Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Martin Daulby, 53. One of the victims was inadvertently killed by police as they were trying to stop the attack, British law enforcement said Friday.
Three others were left in serious condition, English police announced soon after the attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, which took place on the morning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.
The assailant was killed by police officers, who say they have identified the attacker. Police arrested two other people suspected of being involved in the attack.
English Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, left a European Summit meeting in Copenhagen to return to London for an emergency response meeting.
“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer wrote on X. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders.”
He also announced that extra police officers were being deployed to synagogues across England. On Friday morning, he visited the site of the attack with his wife, who is Jewish.
Police noted that Thursday’s attacker had “suspicious items” strapped to his body that were dealt with by bomb disposal officers. A synagogue member’s quick response to lock the house of worship’s doors and call police helped prevent the attacker from entering the building, police said.
“We are grateful to the member of the public whose quick response to what they witnessed allowed our swift action,” Greater Manchester Police wrote in a statement.
The attack occurred roughly 30 minutes into morning Yom Kippur services, according to reports.
Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation is located in Crumpsall, a northern suburb in Greater Manchester. The bordering town of Prestwich boasts several synagogues. A study from 2021 found that close to 30,000 Jews live throughout Greater Manchester.
The Community Security Trust, a British antisemitism watchdog, has reported soaring incidents of antisemitism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacres in Israel, which launched the current Gaza war.
Violent antisemitic attacks have also been on the rise in the United States, with deadly attacks earlier this year on the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington and at a vigil in Boulder, Colorado, for hostages held by Hamas.
Michael Masters, who directs the Secure Community Network, a security consultancy for the U.S. Jewish community told the Forward that the Manchester attack did not trigger any heightened alerts for American Jews, because institutions were already on high alert for the High Holidays.
“Given current conditions, no event is required to elevate the already high threat level or our preparedness,” Masters said in a text message. “SCN has been and will continue to be in contact with local partners in the U.K. and law enforcement here, domestically.”
JTA contributed to this report.
