Rabbi Daniel Walker from Manchester, who blocked the terrorist from entering his synagogue on Yom Kippur, underwent security training through an Israeli government initiative. Thanks to the rabbi's actions, an even greater disaster was prevented in the attack where two Jewish community members were murdered and four others were wounded.
Israel Hayom has learned that the rabbi underwent training in a program for rabbis dealing with terror attacks, conducted by the Community Security Trust (CST), the security organization of Jewish communities in Britain. The training content is provided by the security establishment with funding from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. The program includes practical exercises and study days for theoretical knowledge acquisition. One method taught is closing doors against attackers to prevent escalation of the attack, exactly as Rabbi Walker performed.
In an interview with Britain's ITV channel, Walker described the dramatic moments when the terrorist crashed into the synagogue door repeatedly trying to enter, while waving a knife and shouting, "I'm going to get you, I'm coming in." The rabbi and other worshippers held the door with their bodies, while Adrian Dolby, one of those killed, "defended the synagogue with his life" and was accidentally shot by police forces.
In the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in the Crumpsall neighborhood, two Jews were killed: Adrian Dolby, 53, and Melvin Kravitz, 66, both Crumpsall residents. Four others were wounded, three seriously.
"When I arrived at the synagogue, there was some incident near the gate. Someone was behaving suspiciously and aggressively, and the security guards and volunteers were trying to deal with it," Walker recounted. "We thought it was a minor disturbance. I entered the synagogue, and prayers began. Half an hour later, I heard a huge explosion from outside and screams. People ran in asking to close the back doors. I ran to the front and then someone tried to enter while waving a knife."
According to the rabbi, several men held the doors while the terrorist tried to break in. "He tried using the knife to penetrate through the door, threw planters, crashed into the door repeatedly with his body." Walker spoke about four wounded who blocked the terrorist with their bodies: "Johnny and Andrew, the community volunteer who blocked the terrorist at the gate with his body, and was seriously wounded. Also, Bernard, the security guard, was run over, and they're all hospitalized. And we know Melvin was killed at the gate."
