They Killed Two Jews In Manchester, UK On Yom Kippur — But I Could No Longer Feel The Pain

A Time to Weep | Finding Faith When the Heart Grows Weary

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? - Psalm 13:1

The Silence After the Storm

The screen of my phone glowed in the quiet dimness of my study. I had just returned from our Yom Kippur observance—the final shofar blast still echoing in my memory, the taste of the breaking fast still on my tongue.

I had spent the day in solemn prayer, seeking forgiveness, and contemplating the year to come. With a deep breath, I reached for my phone and switched it on.

The headlines assaulted me immediately: "Manchester Synagogue Terror Attack Kills Two Jewish Men On Yom Kippur." My eyes scanned the words, not quite believing what they were seeing.

A synagogue in Manchester, England. A car ramming, a knife, a fake explosive vest. Two Jewish men—Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz—murdered as they worshipped on our holiest day.

I waited for the familiar surge of grief, the righteous anger, the painful tightening in my chest. But something was different this time. I felt... nothing. A hollow emptiness. A profound weariness that reached deeper than my bones.

I was simply tired. We had just endured the news of Jews killed during Rosh Hashanah in Israel. We've been living with this war since 2023, with no end in sight. How many more headlines? How many more vigils? How many more times must we ask "How long, O Lord?"

If you, like me, find yourself struggling to pray, exhausted from asking where God is in all this—if you're numb from the constant pain—please know this: you are seen, you are heard, and your weariness does not mean your faith has failed.

The Weight of Cumulative Grief

What happened in Manchester is particularly devastating because of when it occurred and where it happened. Yom Kippur is supposed to be our most sacred day—a time of atonement and divine connection. A synagogue should be our safest sanctuary. The attack specifically targeted Jews for being Jews, on their holiest day, at their place of worship.

The Manchester Attack: A Brief Summary

· The Incident: On October 2, 2025, a man drove a car into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, then exited the vehicle and began stabbing people.

· The Victims: Two Jewish men—Adrian Daulby (53) and Melvin Cravitz (66)—were killed. Several others were injured, including one person hit by police gunfire during the confrontation with the attacker.

· The Response: Brave security staff and worshippers prevented the attacker from entering the synagogue, undoubtedly saving countless lives. Police shot and killed the attacker.

This attack didn't happen in isolation. It comes amid rising antisemitism worldwide. In the United States, nearly 70% of religion-based hate crimes target Jews.

In Britain, antisemitism has soared to record levels since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Our community is grieving, and we're worried about our safety—and it's okay to acknowledge how exhausting this constant vigilance and grief has become.

When Words Fail: The Ministry of Silence

Sometimes, the most faithful response to tragedy is silence. When Job's friends heard of his suffering, they sat with him for seven days and seven nights without speaking a word, "for they saw that his grief was very great" (Job 2:13). There is a time for proclamation, and there is a time for quiet companionship in grief.

Your numbness isn't faithlessness—it's a soul that needs space to process. The God who formed your heart understands its language even when it speaks only in sighs and tears.

Practical Application:

Give yourself permission not to have the right words. Light a candle. Sit quietly before the Lord. Let the Spirit pray through you when your own prayers feel inadequate. Sometimes, the most profound prayer is simply showing up in our brokenness and sitting in God's presence.

Ancient Words for Modern Pain

In times like these, we turn to the Scriptures—not for easy answers, but for the comfort of knowing that our forebears in faith walked similar paths of sorrow and questioning. The Word of God does not always explain suffering, but it consistently meets us in the midst of it.

Comfort from the Tanakh

Psalm 34:18 - "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit".

In the original Hebrew, the word for "brokenhearted" (shivrei lev) suggests something shattered into multiple pieces. The Manchester attack has left many in our community feeling precisely this—shattered.

This verse doesn't promise the brokenhearted will be immediately made whole, but it does make a profound claim: God draws especially near to those who feel most crushed. His presence congregates in the spaces of our brokenness.

Practical Application:

When you feel most alone in your grief, most shattered by the world's hatred, speak this verse as a declaration. "The Lord is near to me—to my broken heart." He is in the tears of the mourners in Manchester, in the comfort offered between community members, in the brave security guards who risked their lives to protect others.

Isaiah 43:2 - "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze".

Note that God doesn't promise we won't go through deep waters or walk through fire. The Jewish people have known this reality all too well throughout history. But He does promise His presence in the midst of it—and that these trials will not ultimately consume us.

Practical Application:

We are walking through fire right now. The flames of antisemitism are burning hot across the world. But remember: the same God who appeared in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walks with us now. We are not alone, and we will not be consumed.

Hope from the Gospels

Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Yeshua's words from the Sermon on the Mount turn worldly wisdom upside down. In God's kingdom, even mourning is not worthless—it is blessed, because it opens us to receive divine comfort. Your grief matters to God. Your tears are not wasted. In God's economy, mourning precedes comfort, death precedes resurrection.

Practical Application:

Allow yourself to mourn—for the victims in Manchester, for the state of our world, for your own weariness. Don't rush to "get over it" or pretend to be strong. In your mourning, you are positioned to receive the comfort Yeshua promised.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world".

Yeshua never promised his followers an easy life. Quite the opposite—he guaranteed trouble. But he also offered something that transcends circumstances: peace in Him, and the assurance of His ultimate victory. The Greek word translated "take heart" means to have courage, to be of good cheer. It's a command to courage in the face of trouble, rooted in His overcoming power.

Practical Application:

When you read the next headline about antisemitic violence, speak this truth aloud: "Yeshua has overcome this world." The hatred we see is real, but it is not ultimate. The victory is already won, even if we're living in the tension between that victory and its full manifestation.

Lament: The Lost Language of God's People

As Messianic Jews, we stand in a unique position—we know the hope of the Messiah, yet we feel the particular pain of our people. We need to recover the biblical practice of lament. Nearly a third of the Psalms are laments—raw, honest prayers that pour out grief, confusion, and anger to God.

A biblical lament typically contains these elements:

· Address to God: "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1)

· Complaint: A honest description of what's wrong

· Request: "Look on me and answer, O Lord my God" (Psalm 13:3)

· Expression of trust: "But I trust in your unfailing love" (Psalm 13:5)

Practical Application:

Write your own lament psalm. Be brutally honest with God about your fatigue, your numbness, your questions. He can handle your anger, your confusion, your doubt. The very act of bringing your emptiness to Him is an expression of faith.

Where Do We Go From Here?

In the aftermath of the Manchester attack, something beautiful happened. A vigil was held in the pouring Manchester rain. The Bishop of Manchester stood with the Jewish community, saying, "We are weeping with our Jewish brothers and sisters." He reflected that "hate will never defeat hate, only love will".

The leader of Manchester City Council declared, "An attack on you is an attack on all of us". And a Jewish woman and her Catholic friend lit candles together at a local church, showing solidarity across faith lines.

This is where we begin to find our way forward: together.

Small Faithful Steps

When you don't know how to pray anymore, try these practical steps:

1. Light a Candle: As a physical prayer for the victims and their families. Let its flame remind you that the Light of the World still shines in the darkness.

2. Read One Psalm Each Day: Let the Psalms give voice to what you cannot articulate yourself.

3. Perform One Small Act of Kindness: In a world full of hate, counter with deliberate love. Check on a lonely neighbor. Buy coffee for the person behind you. Small acts of resistance against the darkness.

4. Reach Out: Text a friend simply saying, "Thinking of you and praying for peace." You're likely not the only one feeling this weariness.

A Community of Hope and Shared Mission

Dear weary sister, tired brother—

Your numbness is understood here. Your questions are welcome here. Your fragile faith is honored here. We are a community bound together not by having all the answers, but by sharing the same hope in Yeshua haMashiach.

As we navigate these difficult times together, we're committed to creating spaces where Messianic Jews can find strength, connection, and practical support. If this message has encouraged you today, here are ways you can join our shared mission:

1. Pray:

Pray for the families of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz. Pray for the Jewish community in Manchester. Pray for peace in Israel. And if you can't find the words, simply sit in silence before the Lord.

2. Share:

Forward this article to one person who might need encouragement. Sometimes, knowing we're not alone in our struggle is the greatest comfort.

3. Encourage:

Leave a comment sharing one verse that has sustained you in difficult times. Your testimony might be exactly what another struggling believer needs to hear.

4. Give:

If you feel led, consider supporting organizations like the Community Security Trust that work to protect Jewish communities worldwide or our own advocacy work here at Kohathite.

We will get through this—not by our own strength, but by leaning on Yeshua and on one another. We will continue to gather, to show our strength and pride as Jewish believers, and we will not be cowered.

As Rabbi Walker told the crowd at the Manchester vigil, "Strengthen your lives as Jews... Please, gather, show your strength and your pride, and show you are not cowered. Jewish people always recover and return stronger, and that is what we will do".

"Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

The night feels long indeed. But morning is coming. Until then, we wait together. We hope together. We endure together.

Shalom,

Your fellow traveler on this difficult road