Victims' empty seats the first thing I see - rabbi

Rabbi Daniel Walker paid tribute to Melvin Cravitz (left) and Adrian Daulby (right)

The rabbi of the Manchester synagogue which was attacked earlier this month has described the "massive hole" within the Jewish community that has been caused by the loss of two of its members.

Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed and three others seriously injured when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, rammed a car into and stabbed worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue on 2 October.

Rabbi Daniel Walker was among members of the congregation who barricaded the synagogue's doors to prevent the knifeman from getting inside.

In a new interview with the BBC, the rabbi said the victims' empty seats were one of the "first things I see" whenever he walks into his synagogue.

"They were both very, very special men," said Rabbi Walker.

"Adrian was a very quiet man - a man of great dignity, always with a smile, always kind, very much loved by his family and his neighbours.

"Melvin was also a wonderful man - a family man.

"I spent quite a lot of time with his family in the aftermath."

Armed officers were called to the synagogue on 2 October

The inquest into both men's deaths is due to open later at Manchester City Coroner's Court.

Mr Daulby suffered a gunshot wound as armed police officers shot Al-Shamie dead.

A police bullet also struck Yoni Finlay, who has since been released from hospital.

The 2 October attack happened on Yom Kippur - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar - and at a time when the synagogue was especially busy.

Rabbi Walker praised Mr Daulby's actions and said he had "saved a lot of lives".

Recalling that morning's events, he said: "One of my most dominant memories is Adrian's reaction.

"Adrian sat near the door and he moved with speed I've never seen, it's just emblazoned in my memory.

"Adrian leaped up and closed the door closest to where he and I were and thereby quite possibly saved a lot of lives."

The Heaton Park synagogue reopened days after the attack, with Rabbi Walker saying it "felt safe" and "felt like life".

He urged congregants not to give up on efforts to build bridges between people of other faiths.

The rabbi said: "We have a principle that a little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness. And so I would say to them, we can't despair. We can't give up."

Warm tributes have been paid to Melvin Cravitz (left) and Adrian Daulby (right)

Rabbi Walker also described how the congregation's relationship with the wider community had evolved following the attack, culminating in a visit from King Charles on 20 October.

He said: "We felt very alone. And then very, very quickly, we realised we were not alone.

"The King coming was, I think, the zenith of that. He spent time with every single one of the people who were in the synagogue.

"Essentially, the people who met the King were the people who were at the synagogue on the day and the families of the victims. That meant so much to us all. It meant to us that society cares."

Jewish community organisations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, have urged the government to adopt a new national strategy to combat antisemitism in the wake of the synagogue attack.

A policy document published on Tuesday called for sustained visible policing around synagogues and Jewish schools, tougher enforcement against hate speech and extremism, and stricter measures to confront antisemitism on university campuses.

Rabbi Walker said: "I would like to see all of that support and all of that care, and all that goodness that I know is out there, be a more visible part of our society.

"Antisemitism I think is a societal problem. It's not a Jewish problem per se.

"Society has to deal with hate and extremism. One of the things that I've really been heartened by is the groundswell of support."

Rabbi Daniel Walker welcomed King Charles to Heaton Park synagogue on 20 October