Jewish community in harder position than immediately after synagogue attack, says rabbi
Rabbi Daniel Walker reports that the Jewish community in Manchester feels increasingly vulnerable nearly a year after a deadly synagogue attack. Rising antisemitism and a perceived lack of effective government response have contributed to a growing sense of insecurity among British Jews.
Why it matters
It underscores the ongoing impact of hate crimes on community safety and the psychological toll of persistent threats against religious groups.
Image source, Rob Wood/BBC Image caption, Rabbi Daniel Walker said the sense of vulnerability had grown within the Jewish community
The Jewish community at a synagogue where two men were killed in 2025 feels less safe now than it did immediately after the attack, its rabbi has said almost one year on.
Rabbi Daniel Walker said rising antisemitism, combined with a lack of action to "deal with core problems", had left many members of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester – and British Jews more widely – feeling increasingly vulnerable as the anniversary of the attack approaches.
"I think we're actually almost in a harder position than we were even immediately after the attack," he said ahead of a memorial service for the victims and survivors which will take place later today.
"I think the sense of vulnerability has grown. It hasn't diminished."
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