Letter of Support to the Rabbi of the Heaton Park Synagogue, Manchester

2nd October 2025
Feast of the Guardian Angels

Rabbi Daniel Walker
Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation
Middleton Road
Crumpsall
Manchester

Dear Rabbi Walker,

We write to you in the anguished aftermath of the terror that visited your synagogue and community on Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish calendar, a day set apart for repentance, atonement, and reconciliation before God and neighbour.

Our hearts grieve inexpressibly for the innocent lives lost, for those who were grievously injured, and for the shattering of the sanctuary’s peace—both literal and spiritual—that your congregation, like so many others, earnestly sought on this sacred day. We acknowledge the particular torment—that such violence should strike while your community gathered in prayer, seeking assurance of God’s mercy, stands as an affront not only to the Jewish community but to all humanity. On behalf of the entire Church, we wish to extend to you our deepest sympathy and our fervent prayers for all affected—for the bereaved, for the injured, and for those scarred in spirit by these events.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). It is with trembling that we echo this ancient promise—the hope that, in time, the heavy shadows of grief may be touched by the light of comfort. Yet we know that in these early days, sorrow feels overwhelming and the wound is deep.

We wish to assure you, your congregation, and the entire Jewish community of Manchester and the United Kingdom of our steadfast solidarity and unwavering friendship. Your pain is shared by all who claim the name of faith and hold dear the dignity of every human being. We join with voices from across religious communities—Christian, Muslim and beyond—in condemning this aggression and declaring that hatred has no place among us. Manchester is a city that, in moments of tragedy, has always drawn together its people in unity, resilience, and hope.

We stand beside you and affirm without equivocation that: “such acts of violence have no place in our communities. Manchester is a city built on diversity, mutual respect, and unity. As we showed after previous tragedies, the way we defy those who seek to sow seeds of hatred is to draw closer to one another in love. Hate can never defeat hate; only love can conquer hate.” These are not just words, but a charge upon our common conscience.

We write at a time of deep fear and uncertainty for Jewish people in the United Kingdom. The Manchester attack is not an isolated horror, but comes amid an alarming proliferation of antisemitic incidents, threats, and public hostility that have followed both the October 2025 massacre in Israel and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We recognise the particular vulnerability that now afflicts synagogues, schools, and visibly Jewish neighbourhoods. The impact is both physical and psychological: anxiety, exhaustion, grief, and the chilling absence of safety in core spaces of communal and spiritual life.

As Christian leaders, we are deeply conscious of our responsibility not only to speak words of comfort, but also to search our own hearts—to stand unequivocally beside our Jewish sisters and brothers, to educate our communities against the evils of antisemitism, to stand vigilant against indifference, and to ensure that "never again" is more than a slogan. Your pain is not yours alone. As St. Paul taught, “when one member of the body suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). We reaffirm, in the strongest terms, that the suffering of your congregation is our suffering too, and the Jewish community’s security and flourishing are a cornerstone of our shared civic and religious life.

We know well the importance of memorial, the righteous duty to mourn, and the need for liturgy and lament. In the Psalms, the sacred words, “I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6). The tradition of both our faiths teaches that God is near to the broken hearted; that those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

We cannot pass over in silence the other shadow that lies heavy on Jewish hearts—the massacre in Israel in October 2025, and the war that has followed. The wounds of those events—mass death, terror, anguish for the hostages, the displacement of families, the polarisation of public discourse—are fresh and vivid.

Many in your community are mourning losses in Israel, fearing for relatives, or wrestling with the relentless scrutiny and judgment to which Jews in the UK are now subjected. The trauma of those days is compounded by the sense, expressed by many, that Jewish fears and griefs are often minimised or misunderstood by the wider public and institutions. We grieve with you; we pray for peace in the Land of Promise, the safe return of the hostages, for an end to violence and hatred, and for a just future in which all of God’s children—Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and others—may live in dignity and security.

The climate in which you mourn is marked by insecurity not only about the present, but also about the future of Jewish life in Britain. We acknowledge the particular hurt and sense of isolation which many Jews feel at this time. The sense of exile—even in one’s own home—is a wound that may not be quickly healed. Yet, as you and your congregation bear this burden of loss and fear, we also wish to affirm, with heartfelt respect, the enduring dignity, creativity, and faithfulness that the Jewish community continues to offer not only to Manchester, but to the United Kingdom and the world.

We are grateful for your resilience, for the steadfast refusal to be terrorised, and for the deep commitment to community, tradition, and the promotion of צְדָקָה and שָׁלוֹם which are at the heart of your faith and witness. We wish to affirm, with the strongest conviction, our fidelity—our steadfast faithfulness and loyalty—to the Jewish people: to stand beside you, to listen, to learn, and to advocate for your safety, dignity, and full participation in society.

We recommit our churches and communities to:

• § Opposing all forms of antisemitism and hatred, wherever they are found, in thought, word or deed, in public or private.

• § Praying for the peace, healing, and protection of your congregation and the Jewish community at large.

• § Bearing witness to the unique horror of the Shoah and the persistence of antisemitism in our own day.

• § Working for reconciliation, justice, and the restoration of hope in the face of violence and despair.

In closing, we wish to assure you, Rabbi Walker, and the congregation of Heaton Park, that you are not alone. The prayers of Christian communities throughout Northern England, across these islands, and indeed, throughout the world, are offered for you—a fragrance ascending to heaven in this hour of need.

The pain faced by the Jewish community—both in Britain and globally—at this moment is acute. As Christian leaders, it is incumbent upon us to express not only sorrow but also to reaffirm the ancient and ever-new bonds of love, faith, and shared humanity which must be the answer to all violence and hatred. This letter, therefore, stands as both lament and promise: that you do not grieve alone, and that the Church is committed to be your friend in sorrow and in hope, today and always. We entrust you to the God who calls “peace to those far off and those who are near” (Ephesians 2:17), the God who is Himself the healer of the broken hearted and binder of wounds (Psalm 147:3).

May the Holy One, Blessed be He, spread the shelter of peace and consolation over you, your congregation, and all who mourn. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose promises never fail, comfort you and your congregation. May He grant healing to the wounded, strength to the fearful, justice for the wronged, and peace for the bereaved. May the bonds of friendship between our communities endure and, in due season, give rise to new trust and shared hope.

“May God bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and grant you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26)

With the assurance of our highest respect, deepest sympathy, and spiritual fidelity,

Felix Gibbins OSB Cam
Primate & Presiding Archbishop