Heaton Park survivor: Manchester Jewish community ‘doesn’t feel any safer’

A year after a deadly terrorist attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on October 2, 2025, survivor Yoni Finlay states that the Jewish community "doesn't feel any safer." Finlay, who was shot while helping to barricade the synagogue doors during the attack that killed Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, notes that heightened security, including fortress-like schools and undisclosed event locations, now defines Jewish life. Despite ongoing fear, Finlay, who joined the International March of the Living, believes the attack has strengthened Jewish identity, observing that "Antisemitism increases but at the same time Jewish people identify more." He emphasizes the collective responsibility to confront antisemitism and preserve survivor testimonies.