We have been left shaken and devastated by the terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester earlier today.

On behalf of everyone at the Movement for Progressive Judaism (MPJ), we send our condolences to the families of those killed in this terrible attack, and our prayers to all those injured and affected.

To have such violence occur on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, intensifies the sense of pain.

Yom Kippur is a time when Jews gather in prayer and reflection, seeking forgiveness, turning towards one another, and renewing our hope for peace. No one should ever fear for their safety when they come to pray.

We are grateful to the police, the CST and all those who stand outside our community buildings for everything they do to keep us safe.

In moments like this, our instinct can be to turn inward. Yet the messages of care and solidarity we have already received from colleagues of all faiths and communities remind us that we are not alone, that we are bound together in a shared society.

Our prayers are with all those who mourn. May the Eternal comfort the bereaved, bring healing to the injured, and give us all the courage to stand together for a shared future.

• Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy
  Co-Leads, the Movement for Progressive Judaism