The six minutes that brought terror to Britain’s Jews

Members of the Jewish community comfort each other near to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where two people died in a suspected terror attack by a man who was shot dead by police. Photo / Getty Images

Several hundred worshippers were gathered for the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

But about half an hour in, the Yom Kippur service at Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester was interrupted by the sound of a screeching crash and screams from outside.

Six minutes of terror followed, ending with two people dead at the hands of a suspected terrorist who was shot by police.

The rampage began when a black Kia car, driven at speed along the busy Middleton Rd, reportedly ploughed into a member of the synagogue’s security team, who was standing at the gates outside.

At 9.31am, having witnessed the incident, a member of the public dialled 999. But as they were reporting what they had seen, a man, wearing all black, climbed from the car carrying a knife and began stabbing the already injured security guard.

Clad in what appeared to be a bulletproof jacket and a suspected suicide vest, the man then made his way towards the entrance of the synagogue.

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and the synagogue was busier than usual.

Such has been the risk to Britain’s Jewish community since the October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023 that synagogues across the country all now have beefed-up security.

As the attacker made for the front door of the holy building, he was challenged by those stationed there to keep worshippers safe.

It is understood at least four people outside the synagogue were stabbed in the few horrifying moments that followed.

Two have died while another three have been injured.

Witnesses described seeing the attacker using his knife to stab at a window of the synagogue in an attempt to get inside. However, it appears that the doors to the building had been locked from the inside.

Meanwhile, armed police were racing to the scene and just six minutes after receiving the first 999 call, officers carrying automatic weapons challenged the suspect.

They opened fire at 9.37am, neutralising the attacker, who fell to the ground just yards from the entrance to the synagogue.

As witnesses, some with camera phones, looked on, the man appeared to try to get up.

One bystander shouted to the armed officers “shoot him … he’s got a bomb … he’s trying to press the button”.

A second volley of shots rang out and the suspect lay still on the ground.

Nearby, victims also lay prone and four minutes later, at 9.41am, paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service arrived and began treating the injured.

One delivery driver who was on Middleton Rd at the time said he initially assumed he had witnessed a road traffic accident.

But then he realised that something far more terrible was unfolding.

He described how he could see one man lying on the ground while others close by were shouting.

He explained that as the suspect began trying to force his way inside the synagogue, armed police arrived and shot him.

“Within seconds, the police arrived, they gave him a couple of warnings, he didn’t listen so they opened fire,” the witness said.

Chava Lewin, who is Jewish and lives next to the synagogue, described the aftermath of the attack.

She said: “I was outside and heard a banging sound and I thought it might be a firework. My husband went outside and then ran back inside and said, ‘There’s been a terrorist attack’.

“I spoke to someone who said she was driving and saw a car driving erratically and it crashed into the gates [of the synagogue].

“She thought maybe he had a heart attack. The second he got out of the car he started stabbing anyone near him. He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue. He was in the courtyard.

“Someone barricaded the door. Everyone is in utter shock.”

A woman whose husband had been inside the synagogue said she was “sick” with worry as she had been unable to make contact with him since the attack.

“We’re just waiting for news,” she said at the police cordon with a police helicopter hovering overhead. “I’ve not even got dressed yet, I just ran out in my pyjamas.”

Inside the synagogue, the service was being led by Daniel Walker, the congregation’s rabbi.

People at the scene described how the rabbi remained calm as he tried to reassure the community after the immediate aftermath of the outrage.

In images posted on social media, he could be seen wearing a kittel, a traditional white robe, worn on Jewish high holidays. On the bottom of the robe appeared to be a possible red blood stain. It suggests that he may have rushed out to help the injured after the attack.

Manchester’s Jewish population is the largest in the UK outside of London.

Since 2011, the number of Jews living in the city has increased by about 20%, to a total of 30,000 people.

Of these, many reside in the north of Manchester, in areas including Prestwich, Whitefield and Broughton. Crumpsall, the location of Thursday’s terror attack, is in the north of the city.

Following the attack, police officers were dispatched to all the city’s synagogues, but as the news began to spread, all Yom Kippur services were cancelled with worshippers warned not to attend.

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