Memorial service for Heaton Park attack victims held amid rising antisemitism fears
A memorial service for the two men killed in the Heaton Park synagogue attack heard warnings that antisemitism is rising and the Jewish community feels less safe.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Hundreds of people gathered at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester for a memorial service to honour the two men killed in last October's terror attack. Adrian Dolby and Melvin Kravitz died on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when Jihad Alshami drove a car into a crowd outside the synagogue and then stabbed worshippers. Two empty seats were left in the congregation for the victims.
The service was attended by the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, the Community Secretary, Angela Rayner, and the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Stephen Watson. A message from King Charles III was read out, expressing solidarity with those affected. The King said the sense of shock and sorrow remained undiminished.
The Chief Rabbi used his address to blame a climate of antisemitism for the attack. He said the perpetrator had been "encouraged and inspired by a tone of deep anti-Semitism within our society" and by the demonisation of Israel. He also spoke of a "moral stain" that needed to be "ruthlessly expunged".
Melvin Kravitz's stepdaughter, Shirelle Dressman, spoke through tears about the hateful messages she had received since his death. She said strangers had told her that the blame for his murder lay at the feet of all Jewish people. "For me, all that this achieves is to remind me of what Melvin's crime was, being born Jewish," she said.
Yoni Finley, who was seriously injured in the attack, also spoke of his fight for survival. He said he had made a promise while lying in the foyer with four organs badly damaged that his life would not end there.
The rabbi of Heaton Park Synagogue, Daniel Walker, told the BBC that the community felt less safe now than it did immediately after the attack. "The sense of vulnerability has grown. It hasn't diminished," he said. He welcomed increased security but said there was no evidence of anyone dealing with the core problems.
Angela Rayner promised a "whole society approach" to tackle antisemitism. She said the government had increased funding for the Community Security Trust and had injected money into policing to deploy more officers in areas with high Jewish populations. She said security would always be the government's first priority.
The service took place under heightened security, with police operations run in the same way as for a football match or music event. It came ahead of the annual cycle of Jewish high holy days, which begin next month. The community has been determined not to be defined by hate, but the fear of another attack remains constant.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two worshippers, Adrian Dilby and Melvin Kravitz, were killed in the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue. | · | |||
| A relative of Melvin Kravitz, his stepdaughter Shirelle Dressman, received hateful messages blaming all Jewish people for the murder. | · | · | ||
| The attack on Heaton Park Synagogue occurred on Yom Kippur. | · | · | ||
| The Chief Rabbi said British Jews feel less safe and more vulnerable than immediately after the attack. | · | · | ||
| Angela Rayner promised a whole society approach to tackle anti-Semitism. | · | · | · | |
| Angela Rayner said every incident of hate would be treated as an emergency. | · | · | · | |
| Increased security has not addressed the core problems. | · | · | · | |
| Policing for the Jewish high holy days is now run as a command operation similar to a football match or music event. | · | · | · | |
| The attack was followed by a worldwide wave of anti-Semitic incidents, including a shooting at Bondi Beach and attacks in London. | · | · | · | |
| The attacker dialled 999 and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State before stabbing Melvin Kravitz. | · | · | · | |
| The Chief Rabbi blamed deep antisemitism and the demonisation of Israel for inspiring the attacker. | · | · | · | |
| The government increased funding for the Community Security Trust. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West focused on the community's growing sense of vulnerability and the personal impact on families, including the hate messages received by Melvin Kravitz's stepdaughter. It also highlighted the Chief Rabbi's attribution of the attack to societal antisemitism and the heightened security measures.
- “I think looking back, I think we're actually almost in a harder position than we were even immediately after the attack. I think the sense of vulnerability has grown. It hasn't diminished.”
- “I have received messages from people that I do not know feeling the need to explain to me that the blame for Melvin's brutal murder lies at the feet of all Jewish people and as a result of world politics.”
BBC NEWS provided live coverage of the memorial service, focusing on the speeches by the Chief Rabbi, Angela Rayner, and the reading of the King's message. It emphasised the political and religious leaders' responses and the government's commitment to tackling antisemitism.
- “Is a moral stain which needs to be ruthlessly expunged in the world of moral relativity and sometimes cowardice, in the advocacy of false equivalents and in the light of a perverse tendency to point to matters geopolitical, in order to seek to justify attacks on innocent Jewish people”
- “The only way that we can root out this poison is through a whole society approach and you have my word that I will do all I can in my power to build that.”
ITV1 focused on the personal stories of the victims and the ongoing fear within the Jewish community. It highlighted the attacker's actions, the accidental police shooting of Adrian Dalby, and the limited impact of government promises on community safety.
- “For Melvin, connecting with others, mattering to other people, was all that he really wanted. And I hope he can see now just how much he mattered.”
- “But ultimately, unless we get to grips with the root cause of the problem, there will be another attack.”
Sky News combined live coverage of the memorial service with panel analysis. It highlighted the emotional moments, the government's funding commitments, and the broader debate about the root causes of antisemitism, including the conflation of Israel with British Jews and the role of social media.
- “Heaton Park will not only be a symbol of humankind at its lowest ebb but rather as well and Hopefully far more so Humankind in its most glorious form”
- “We will treat Every incident of hate as the emergency that it is and we are giving the police The support that they need to do the same”
Broadcast Timeline
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