Jewish people have stood in silence outside their synagogue to mark the moment a week ago when two of their community were murdered by an Islamist terrorist.
Dozens of local Jews, some with arms linked or hugging, paid tribute to father-of-three Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, the âquiet heroâ who blocked the doors of the Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, as it came under attack last Thursday.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, rang 999 during his deadly rampage, pledging allegiance to the so-called Islamic State terror group.
He drove his car at Jews gathering for the holy day of Yom Kippur then attacked others with a knife and tried to storm the synagogue, wearing a fake suicide belt, before being shot dead by armed police.
Amid a heavy police presence, families of both the men he murdered were present for a short vigil on the steps outside the synagogue led by Rabbi Daniel Walker, who was present at the time of the attack.
The rabbi told mourners that âevil tried to defile these stepsâ but that evil will not prevail.
Raphi Bloom, a board representative on the Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester and Region (JRC), said: âA week ago, at precisely this time, the moment we had all feared and warned our political leaders about occurred, with horrific consequences.
âTwo kind, gentle innocent men, Melvin and Adrian⌠were murdered on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, by an evil Islamic terrorist, simply because they were Jewish.
âAs a Jewish community, we are mourning, we are scared, we feel isolated, and we are angry, very angry because we screamed this would happen and no one listened.â
Mr Bloom asked Jews not to be âcowedâ and those of other faiths or none to call out antisemitism whenever or wherever they see it.
Marc Levy, chief executive of the JRC, said the fact that British Jews had to live behind gates and need security guards is a âmoral failing in our societyâ.
He added: âTo those who speak with forked tongues or are disingenuous, please know you will be called out.â
Local political leaders, including Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig, were accused of âgaslightingâ Jews.
Manchester has seen weekly pro-Palestinian marches involving alleged antisemitic chanting and a row has broken out over a planned gig by outspoken punk duo Bob Vylan next month at Manchester University Studentsâ Union.
The JRC wants the event cancelled after the musicians caused controversy in chanting âdeath, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)â during a performance at Glastonbury music festival in June, livestreamed by the BBC, which the corporationâs director-general Tim Davie subsequently said was âa very significant mistakeâ, and branded the performance âantisemiticâ and âdeeply disturbingâ.
Mr Bloom said: âIt is a failure of political leadership. Nationally and locally, absolutely itâs a failure of leadership.
âWeâve been screaming about these marches for two years. When youths chant to globalise the intifada for 104 weeks, somebody will globalise the intifada. And they did here at Heaton Park Synagogue a week ago.
âThe fact that no one wants to take ownership of Vylan speaking in Manchester is a huge disappointmentâŚ
âWe are angry about it. The combined authority wonât make a comment on it, Manchester council wonât make a comment on it, the university says itâs not their issue.
âThe Student Union are ignoring us, which is shameful considering what our community has gone through.
âAnd actually, itâs gaslighting the Jewish community at the worst time in our history in this country.
âItâs not good enough, somebody needs to take leadership on this issue.
âWeâre fearful. One of the reasons weâre fearful is because people like Vylan our coming to our city, exhorting their audience to go and hunt Zionists in the street.
âEnough is enough. Words are not good enough. We need actions.â
Mr Burnham and Ms Craig have not responded to a request from the PA news agency for comment.
The University of Manchester directed media calls about the matter to the Studentsâ Union, which declined to comment.
