Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, MPs, Mayors and civic leaders from across the political divide visited synagogues and Jewish congregations around the UK to express their support and solidarity following the terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Manchester on Yom Kippur.

They joined communities in prayer and reflection – mourning Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, who were killed in the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation – showing that British Jews are not alone.

The Movement for Progressive Judaism and our communities worked hard to make these visits happen along with the Government, police force, CST and Board of Deputies Vice President Andrew Gilbert.

We are also grateful for the phone calls made by the Prime Minister and the Metropolitan Police to Progressive Judaism Co-Leads Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky after the attacks, discussing the needs of the Jewish community at this time, as well as the senior Muslim, Christian and other faith leaders who rang to share their solidarity.

Below are details of the visits made to Progressive synagogues over the last week. If you have any to add, please send them to GrahamM@progressivejudaism.org.uk.

The Liberal Jewish Synagogue

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, visited the Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS) in London on Shabbat.

Before the service, Sir Keir met with congregants including LCS Council Chair Sue Head, fellow Council members, and students from Rimon Religion School.

He then made an address to the congregation in the shul, saying: “I was shocked and appalled by the attack in Manchester. The loss of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz is a tragedy that touches all of us. This was not just an attack on Jews, it was an attack on Britain, on our values, and on the promise of safety and belonging that this country must uphold.”

He went on to affirm the government’s commitment to increasing security around places of worship and ensuring that Jewish communities feel protected and embraced.

The service, led by LJS Senior Rabbi Alexandra Wright, honoured the victims and acknowledged the outpouring of support received from other faith communities and individuals across the country.

Rabbi Alexandra said: “I take heart from the great many messages I and my colleagues received – messages of support, sympathy and solidarity.”

After the service, during Kiddush, Rachel Blake MP, representing the Cities of London and Westminster, also spoke of the importance of interfaith solidarity and the role of civic leaders in standing against hatred and division.

On Sukkot, Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer joined Progressive Judaism Co-Lead Rabbi Charley Baginsky on security outside the synagogue.

As well as allowing the Minister to experience the measures needed to protect our places of worship, it also allowed him and Rabbi Charley to chat directly to congregants about their concerns at this time.

After his shift, the MP for Lincoln joined the congregation in the Sukkah for the blessings and received instruction (and explanation) from Rabbi Igor Zinkov for the shaking of the Lulav.

Finchley Reform Synagogue

Finchley Reform Synagogue hosted Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Minister for Faith and Communities Miatta Fahnbulleh, and Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer KC on Sukkot morning (top image).

The service, led by Cantor Zöe Jacobs, Rabbi Deborah Blausten, Rabbi Eleanor Davis, Cantor Sarah Grabiner and members of the FRS choir, included an extended Yizkor (memorial) service commemorating two years since the 7 October attacks in Israel – mourning those murdered by Hamas on that day, the hostages killed since then, and the two people killed in the Manchester terrorist attack.

The Ministers were accompanied by Progressive Judaism Co-Leads, Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky, and Board of Deputies Vice President Andrew Gilbert, as well as the lay leadership of FRS. Before the service, they viewed the synagogue’s exhibition of stories of people who were killed, or taken hostage, many of whom acted in heroic ways to save others, on 7 October 2023.

Miatta Fahnbulleh spoke to the congregation, stressing her support for the Jewish community and telling of her inspiration at the community’s female leadership team.

She said: “Today has been a morning of reflection, memory, deep sorrow and sadness, but also one of love, friendship and hope. There are more of us who stand with the Jewish community than there are those who hate. Something as simple as being able to come into a place of worship and feel safe is no longer taken for granted. However, there are people who want to bring us together, and it is my job as Minister for Faith to make sure we can stand against those who want to divide us, and you have my commitment that I will work with you and the community leaders. I feel incredibly inspired by this fellowship and the amazing female leaders at FRS.”

Rabbi Deborah talked of the importance of having senior politicians in our communities for these moments. She said: “Helping members of Parliament and people in power understand what we mean when we speak about these things is difficult when we feel vulnerable. Even in these moments of difficulty it matters that we look each other in the eye and that you understand the responsibility that we ask you to feel, as well as the gratitude that we hope we can continue to express”

Cantor Zoe expressed her gratitude to the ministers for taking the time to visit the community and hear their personal stories of the last two years. She said: “Sukkot is, at its heart, a festival that embraces the fragility of life. We step out of the safety of our homes and into a sukkah – a structure that reminds us how exposed and dependent we truly are: on the land, on one another, and on forces greater than ourselves. After the deep introspection of Yom Kippur, Sukkot turns us outward – toward the world, toward the earth, toward community.”

You can watch the FRS Sukkot service in full here.

The South London Liberal Synagogue

The South London Liberal Synagogue (SLLS) welcomed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, along with Helen Hayes, Chair of the House of Commons Education Committee, on Shabbat.

They conveyed the Government’s commitment to the Jewish community and the importance of safe, welcoming spaces for faith communities. Claire Holland, leader of Lambeth Council, was also in attendance.

Rabbi Nathan Godleman led the Shabbat service and said: “Shabbat was an opportunity for the community to come together in the aftermath of Thursday’s attack, and for our elected officials to be in our midst, feel the mood and hear directly from the bimah and in the Lily Montagu Hall, how we are feeling.”

Steve Reed, who was presented with Liberal Judaism’s Siddur Lev Chadash, said: “It was a very meaningful service and an important chance to show support after this horrific terrorist attack. Rabbi Nathan read a beautiful meditation on community that really resonated.”

Alyth

The Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer KC, a long-standing member at Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue), was invited to give the dvar Torah at the synagogue on Friday night.

The Attorney General spoke of the Government’s solidarity and deepest sympathies with the Jewish community after the terrorist attack in Manchester on Yom Kippur, and the unprecedented rise in antisemitism since the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks.

He added: “I am also here, as a member of this community which holds a very special place for me and so many of us. It is somewhere we come to celebrate landmark moments in our lives, and also somewhere we come to mourn and when we are feeling lost or afraid.

“Just like after 7 October, we come together today to make sense of the tragic and to work through, together, the pain, the bewilderment, and the anger.”

You can watch his full sermon here.

Newcastle Reform Synagogue

Newcastle MPs Catherine McKinnell and Dame Chi Onwurah attended the Shabbat service at Newcastle Reform Synagogue. They arrived early to speak individually to members and offer reassurance.

During the service they were visibly moved when Rabbi Fabian Sborovsky said the names of the two Manchester victims, Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, before Kaddish was recited.

NRS Chair Linda Scott thanked the MPs for their support and emphasised how celebrating a Bar Mitzvah on the day, in a packed synagogue, was uplifting and helped bring the community together.

Kingston Liberal Synagogue

Kingston Liberal Synagogue welcomed local MP Monica Harding alongside guests from the area’s Muslim and Christian communities to mark the beginning of Sukkot. The guests, from across all faiths and backgrounds, said they wanted to be there to support the Jewish community at this difficult time.

Rabbi Lev Saul of KLS said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from our neighbours. Members of the public have dropped round cards and flowers.

“It is wonderful to see so much love in our area, especially from our civic leaders and faith colleagues. Our solidarity will overcome hatred.”

East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue

On Shabbat morning, local MP Calvin Bailey joined the service at East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS) – reading the prayer for King and Country, and saying a few words. He also stayed afterwards to meet congregants, some of whom are his constituents.

Five local councillors, who are all ELELS members, were also in the congregation – Josh and Steph Garfield, Kira Lewis, Jack Phipps, and Miriam Mirwitch.

On Erev Sukkot, the community were then joined again by Calvin Bailey, as well as Imam Mohammed Fahim, Reverend Elizabeth Lowson, Grace Williams (leader of Waltham Forest Council), and Cllr Joe Hehir (Deputy Mayor of Redbridge).

They also received a lovely letter of sympathy and support signed by about 20 of their neighbours in the road.

Rabbi Richard Jacobi said: “As we prepared to begin Sukkot, several guests joined us to provide support following the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation. We are very thankful for all the messages of support we have received.”

Southgate Progressive Synagogue

Cllr Margaret Greer, Mayor of Enfield, attended the Shabbat service at Southgate Progressive Synagogue (SPS). Accompanied by the two councillors for the Oakwood ward, Julian Sampson and Tom O’Halloran, they wanted to express their support at this time of heightened concerns for Jewish communities.

After the service, led by Rabbi Danny Rich, the Mayor joined more than 40 congregants for kiddush and she was then shown around the Sukkah. The visit by the councillors at short notice was much appreciated by the community.

The leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Ergin Erbil, then joined the community for their Sukkot morning service.

Birmingham Progressive Synagogue

The Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker visited Birmingham Progressive Synagogue on Sunday and helped build the Sukkah. The visit was to express his solidarity with the community and his ongoing commitment to interfaith engagement.

Rabbi Lisa Barrett said: “Richard arrived with an armful of evergreen branches. He spent time with all the generations who were gathered at shul, including the young people. He really engaged and listened, hearing a range of voices and views. And despite not liking heights, he climbed a ladder to hang the very first fruits in our Sukkah. We really appreciated his visit, a meaningful and powerful act of solidarity and support following the Heaton Park shul attack.”

Lisa added: “One parent told me that her youngest son was so glad to have been there as it made him feel part of a loving community. Just what he needed after the last week.”

The Wimbledon Synagogue

The Wimbledon Synagogue has been deeply moved by the many expressions of support and solidarity it has received from across the local civic society. Messages of condolence have come not only with words of sympathy but also with a clear commitment to stand alongside the Jewish community in this difficult time.

On Shabbat morning, Paul Koehler, Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon, visited to meet with members personally. He offered his condolences and assured the community that he and his party will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight against antisemitism.

Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell said: “His presence and words were a welcome reminder that our local community is not alone, and that many in public life recognise the importance of protecting and strengthening the bonds that hold our society together.”

Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue

Brighton and Hove City Council Leader Cllr Bella Sankey and the chair of the local Muslim Forum, Tariq Jung, attended the Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue (BHPS) Shabbat service to show their solidarity following the attack in Manchester.

Rabbi Gabriel Kanter-Webber and members of the community also joined civic and other faith leaders from across the county the following day, gathering to support the Sussex Muslim community after the arson attack on the Peacehaven Mosque – which Sussex Police are treating as a hate crime.

He said: “Cllr Sankey contacted me to offer support within an hour of the terrible news breaking. I was touched and grateful that she also made it a priority to join us on Shabbat to reassure and console my congregation. However, neither of us had any idea that the next attack would be in our own neighbourhood when on Saturday night the Peacehaven Mosque was set on fire.”

Rabbi Gabriel added: “On Saturday, Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue was honoured to have the support and solidarity of our Muslim friends post-Manchester. On Sunday, we offered them our support and solidarity post-Peacehaven.”

The Ark Synagogue

Faiths came together at The Ark Synagogue for a Sukkot service, followed by a 7 October memorial service – led by Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein and Rabbi Andrea Kulikovsky.

The Ark community were joined by Reverend Monika Doering, Sister Kasia Kowalska NDS and Shaykha Halima Krausen.

Rabbi Lea (pictured with the guests) said: “It sounds like the start of a good joke – a vicar, a nun, a sheikha and a rabbi sit in a Sukkah – but just five days after the terror attack in Manchester it wasn’t just light-hearted joy, but an important signal of hope.

“It was a true pleasure to welcome the planning team of JCM in Dialogue to the Ark Synagogue for Sukkot and the 7 October Memorial Service.”

Southport & District Reform Synagogue

The Southport Mosque Open Day on Sunday saw the entire Southport faith community show support for the Jewish community members in attendance – committing to uniting as disparate faith groups to work towards a better society.

It was also a chance for everyone to support the Southport Mosque, which was targeted by racist rioters last year.

Southport & District Reform Synagogue Chair Dr Selwyn Goldthorpe said: “There was support from all sectors of the community, from the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, the King’s representative, to Imam Ibrahim Hussain, for our community’s grief at the Yom Kippur murders. I was also able to thank the representative of Merseyside Police for their concern for our welfare and protection.”

The synagogue has had four anonymous bouquets of flowers delivered as an expression of sympathy, numerous e-mails from faith leaders and community leaders in support, and regular visits from police patrols.

Menorah Synagogue

Around 70 people gathered at Menorah Synagogue for a moving first-day Sukkot service led by Rabbi Kath Vardi. The service included special prayers and readings to mark the second anniversary of the 7 October massacres, offering space for reflection and solidarity amid the festival’s themes of shelter and resilience.

Visitors from across the North West and beyond – including members of Southport, Jacksons Row, Liverpool and Leeds Reform communities – added to the sense of shared purpose and connection.

A parallel children’s service welcomed over a dozen young people who later joined the main congregation for a spirited Torah parade and communal blessing, bringing the generations together.