On the morning of Oct. 2, in Manchester, England, the holiest day of the year was marked by an act of despicable evil. The first and second of October this year mark the dates of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, known as “The Day of Atonement,” is viewed as the holiest day of the year for followers of Judaism. Followers spend the day in prayer in synagogues while fasting to achieve purification and forgiveness from their religion. Unfortunately, the history of Yom Kippur is not one hidden from prejudice.
This Thursday morning, a man drove a car into a crowd of people right outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue. When the car stopped, the man emerged with a knife and began stabbing people. People on the scene acted bravely to prevent the attacker from entering the synagogue, although the damage had still been done.
Fortunately, the Greater Manchester police force is being acclaimed for its almost immediate response time. The attacker was shot and killed by police just 7 minutes after being called to the scene. A bomb squad was also sent to the location due to the authorities questioning if the man had a bomb on his person. Additionally, according to police reports, at least two civilians were killed, with at least four injured.
Greater Manchester police have declared the incident a terrorist attack against Jewish worshippers. As part of their response, security has been increased by sending police officers to multiple other synagogues across the country. Laurence Taylor, the head of the United Kingdom’s counterterrorism police, has also stated that police may know the attacker’s identity but have yet to confirm it.
Officials have reacted to the situation very seriously. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made the decision to fly back from Copenhagen, where he was at a conference of government officials. The Prime Minister intends to address the incident as a national emergency.
The history of Yom Kippur and the Jewish people has not been hidden from prejudice. The UK’s Community Security Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting the Jewish Community, has recorded 1,521 incidents of anti-Jewish hate in the first half of this year alone. The incident contributes to a long history of tragedy and prejudice endured by the Jewish people.
