Manchester, UK – Rabbi Daniel Walker of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation has been praised as a hero after protecting worshippers during a deadly attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The assault left at least two people dead and three others seriously injured, authorities confirmed.
The attack began around 9:30 a.m. when a man rammed his vehicle into the front of the synagogue before launching a stabbing spree outside the building. Armed officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrived quickly and shot the suspect, who later died at the scene. Bomb disposal teams were called after officers found suspicious items on the man’s body, including what was initially feared to be an explosive device.
Inside the synagogue, Rabbi Walker acted swiftly to protect his congregation. Witnesses said he shut and barricaded the doors, stopping the attacker from reaching the crowded sanctuary where dozens of worshippers had gathered for Yom Kippur prayers. “Rabbi Walker was incredibly calm,” one congregant recalled. “He shut the doors and made sure no one could get inside. He is a hero—this could have been much worse.”
Eyewitnesses outside described the attacker moving in a “robotic” manner, targeting Jewish worshippers as they arrived for services. Video circulating online showed armed officers confronting the suspect on the ground as he attempted to rise before being shot again. Photographs later captured Rabbi Walker outside the synagogue, his traditional white Yom Kippur robes reportedly stained with blood from the chaos.
The attack has shaken Manchester’s Jewish community and sparked strong reactions across the country. “It is the holiest day of the year, and we get this,” one worshipper said. “There is no place for Jews in Britain anymore. It’s horrifying. We just don’t feel safe.” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the violence, calling it “appalling” and announcing he would cut short a European summit to chair an emergency Cobra meeting. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also expressed that they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the assault.
Rabbi Walker, who has led Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation since 2008, is a respected figure in Manchester’s Jewish community. Beyond his synagogue, he serves in leadership roles for interfaith, educational, and social organizations, including as co-chair of the Jewish Representative Council’s Community and Interfaith Committees. Community members say his courage on Yom Kippur will be remembered as an act that saved lives on a day meant for peace and prayer.