UK chief rabbi after Yom Kippur synagogue attack: ‘This is day we knew would come’

Following the deadly terror attack at a Manchester synagogue that killed two and injured four during Yom Kippur services, British Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis says the toxic environment of Jew hatred in the country made such an event all but inevitable.

“This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come,” Mirvis posts on X. “For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result. This is not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.”

Mirvis says he spoke with Rabbi Daniel Walker, the spiritual leader of the Heaton Park Synagogue, who was hailed by witnesses as a hero for barricading the doors to the synagogue to stop the attacker from getting inside the sanctuary.

“His courageous leadership, together with the resilience of his congregation, are an inspiration to us all,” Mirvis writes.

“May the victims’ memories be for a blessing and may the injured be granted a swift recovery,” Mirvis concludes. “I pray that this tragedy strengthens our collective resolve to confront antisemitism, in all its guises, once and for all.”

Our hearts are shattered.

Emerging from the holy fast of Yom Kippur, British Jews are now grasping the full extent of today’s terror attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.

This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come.

For…

— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) October 2, 2025