Yoni Finlay, a 39-year-old father of four, was shot while helping to barricade the doors of Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester during a Yom Kippur service. The attack, carried out by Jihad al-Shamie, a Syria-born Mancunian who pledged allegiance to Islamic State, left two worshippers dead: Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. Finlay described the moment he looked into the attacker's eyes and felt he was 'in the presence of evil.'
Finlay, who had been due to lead the dawn prayer, rushed to the entrance after hearing a bang and seeing security guard Bernard Agyemang injured. As the attacker tried to force his way in, Finlay and others held the doors. He saw a large knife and what appeared to be a bomb strapped to the assailant's waist. 'He just wanted to kill Jews, and he was prepared to die for that,' Finlay said.
A bullet fired by armed police, who arrived within seven minutes, struck Finlay in the chest and exited through his back. He underwent a seven-hour operation and spent two weeks in hospital. He now struggles with survivors' guilt, saying, 'I thank God every single day, but it doesn’t take away from the lives that were lost.'
The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents following Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel, with over 200 incidents per month in the first half of 2025, rising to 300 per month from June to August. Dave Rich, head of policy at the CST, said the hostility towards British Jews over the actions of the Israeli government had normalised antisemitism. 'People don't wake up in a morning and think I’m going to kill Jews... It doesn’t just happen in a vacuum.'
Finlay’s account comes amid community fury over the attack, with Justice Secretary David Lammy heckled at a vigil where ministers were accused of having blood on their hands. The attack has reignited calls for stronger action against rising antisemitism in Britain.
