– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Everybody else get back if you're not

informed.

A deadly attack on a synagogue in

Manchester

on the holiest day in the Jewish

calendar.

Manchester police are saying they are at

the scene of a reported stabbing.

There's someone in the crowd shouted,

"He's got something on him." And as I

turned around, he was literally stabbing

at the synagogue window door trying to

get him.

Police shot dead the attacker,

35-year-old Jied Al Sherei. On behalf of

the nation,

I want to offer my condolences to the

families and victims affected.

Don't fight hatred with hatred. You

don't fight violence with violence.

A nation in shock, a community in fear.

Obviously, a deep sense of sadness given

that people who I know have been

murdered attending synagogue on the

holiest day of the Jewish year.

The place, one of this country's largest

Jewish communities. The time, as the

morning service was due to begin on Yam

Kapoor, the most solemn of religious

holidays. A confrontation that left two

Jewish men and a knife wielding attacker

dead. Events at Heaton Park Synagogue

will be investigated by the security

services for months to come. But already

we know the elements of what happened.

The two men killed were 66-year-old

Melvin Kravitz and Adrien Dolby who was

53. Greater Manchester police said that

one of them had been hit by police

gunfire as they shot the attacker. A

number of other people were taken to

hospital with serious injuries. So what

do we know about what happened? Greater

Manchester is home to about 25,000

Jewish people, the largest population in

the UK outside London and the Southeast.

Police have said they received a call

from a member of the public on Thursday

just after 9:30 after reports of a car

being driven at people at the Heaton

Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsel. Armed

police were on the scene just 3 minutes

later. They were on alert for an event

such as this. At 9:37 a.m., Greater

Manchester Police declared a major

incident and began a national

anti-terror response. Then at 9:38,

armed police opened fire. BBC Verify has

been analyzing footage of the moment

when Greater Manchester police fired

those shots. A key video shows two armed

officers with their weapons pointing at

a suspect lying on the ground. One of

the officers then approaches the fence

shouting at onlookers.

The video continues and shows a man

wearing a kipper, a Jewish cap, lying in

a pool of blood. We've heavily blurred

this because it's too graphic. Seconds

later, the man being watched by police

attempts to get up. Sharp cracks ring

out and the man falls back to the

ground. Eyewitnesses described how

synagogue security staff stopped the

attacker from getting inside the

building.

He was on the floor fighting for his

life and then literally someone in the

crowd shouted, "He's got something on

him." And as I turned around, he was

literally stabbing at the synagogue

window door trying to get in.

Behind the closed doors of the temple,

worshippers attempted to continue their

services. The man who stopped the

attacker by barricading the door was

Rabbi Daniel Walker. I was looking out

of the window in the door at the man

trying to get in and I saw evil and I

saw hate

and we will not allow that to beat us.

Cuz on your side of the door you saw

something else too, didn't you?

What was that?

Yes, I I saw genuine heroism. I have to

say people who ran um to help others

when rather than running away. Um, it

was astonishing.

Greater Manchester Police were on the

scene at 9:34. Here's the force's chief

constable, Sir Steven Watson.

At this time, we know that a car was

driven directly at members of the public

outside the Heaton Park Hebrew

Congregation Synagogue on Middleton

Road, Crumbsell in Manchester.

The driver of the car was seen then to

attack people with a knife.

He was wearing about his body a vest

which had the appearance of an explosive

device.

There were a large number of worshippers

attending the synagogue at the time of

this attack. But thanks to the immediate

bravery of security staff and the

worshippers inside

as well as the fast response of the

police.

The attacker was prevented from gaining

access.

As you've heard, Sir Stevens said the

attacker's belt appeared to be an

explosive device. Later, they confirmed

it wasn't viable.

The man was named as 35-year-old Jahel

Sheme, a British citizen who'd come here

from Syria. His father, Farah Joshi,

issued a statement saying the news of

the terror attack had been a profound

shock to them. He added that his family

strongly condemned the heinous act and

expressed their deep sorrow for the

victims and their families.

Some people on the estate where the

suspect lived described him as a

weightlifter who never spoke to his

neighbors. Simon Baras is one of them.

Well, I've seen him going to the shops

across the road.

Um, I've seen him in his back garden

using his weights, but that's about it.

Knowing that a terrorist is living under

my nose, you know, within from here to

that address, what is it? 2-minute walk

if that. And for to have somebody like

that living on my estate is scary. Very

scary.

The home secretary, Shabbana Mahmood,

told the BBC that jihad ali was not on

the counterterrorism police radar.

He came to this country uh as a small

child. Uh was naturalized as a British

citizen uh when he was still a minor in

the mid 2000s around 2006. He was not

known to counter terror police. There

had not been a prevent referral uh for

him. Uh before uh that is the

information that we currently have that

I can share. She also said she was

disappointed pro Palestinian protest

went ahead on Thursday. The Home

Secretary called for demonstrators to

step back from planned marches.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sakir

Starmer cut short a visit to Copenhagen

and promised to do everything in his

power to protect Jewish people. And he

said Britain must defeat anti-Semitic

hate.

On behalf of our country, I express my

solidarity,

but also my sadness that you still have

to live with these fears. Nobody should

have to do that.

Nobody.

And so I promise you that I will do

everything in my power to guarantee you

the security that you deserve, starting

with a more visible police presence,

protecting your community.

That was on the day of the attack. On

Friday, the prime minister visited the

synagogue and met with members of the

emergency services. Saki said he would

ensure the Jewish community was safe and

secure. There has been widespread

condemnation of the attack. The UK's

chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mvvis, told us

that there has been a growing rise in

hatred against the Jewish community.

Right now, our hearts are shattered.

What transpired yesterday was uh an

awful blow to us. Something which

actually we were fearing might happen.

Um but it still came as a shock. Uh it

came as no surprise to anybody um

because of the buildup to this action.

And this is a very dark time not just

for Jews of Britain but for all of our

society because this wasn't merely an

attack against Jews. It was an attack

against the values of our society.

Rafi Bloom who sits on the board of the

Jewish Representative Council of Greater

Manchester was on his way to the

synagogue when the attack happened. He

says the government needs to do more to

keep people safe.

We are fearful. British Jews are openly

questioning whether we have a future in

this country, whether my children and my

grandchildren have a future in this

country. We have been warning about this

for two years. Our politicians say very

nice words about increasing physical

security at our synagogues and our

communal institutions and our Jewish

schools, but they have failed to act for

two years on this hate that has been

attacking the Jewish community. And if

they mean what they say, that they are

proud of our British Jewish community,

then we need them to act.

On Friday afternoon, hundreds gathered

in Manchester to remember the victims of

the attack.

We know how you feel. I know how I feel.

Religious and city leaders were joined

by the deputy prime minister David

Lammy.

We have allowed it to wear on the

children's school was closed today. You

have allowed yourself.

As he was delivering his message of

unity, Mr. Lami was boomed.

Stand together today. We must stand in

Greece.

It appears the heckles were for the

government's decision to recognize a

Palestinian state. The suffering caused

by the attack in Manchester sadly isn't

new either to the city or the country as

a whole. Perhaps what makes what

happened in North Manchester different

was its targeted nature against a

religious minority at a place of

worship. With conflict around the world

and growing extremism online, it's easy

to see why many people in the UK are

saying they're becoming increasingly

fearful.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
attack /əˈtæk/ B1	noun - an act of aggression or violence toward someone or something verb - to launch an act of aggression against
synagogue /ˈsɪnəɡɒɡ/ C1	noun - a Jewish place of worship
police /pəˈliːs/ A2	noun - the civil force responsible for maintaining law and order
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ B1	noun - a person who suffers harm or loss
community /kəˈmjuːnəti/ B1	noun - a group of people living in the same area or sharing a common interest
hate /heɪt/ B2	noun - intense dislike or hostility verb - to feel intense dislike for
violence /ˈvaɪələns/ B2	noun - use of physical force to cause harm
fear /fɪə/ B1	noun - a feeling of being afraid verb - to be afraid of something
security /sɪˈkjʊərəti/ B2	noun - the state of being free from danger or threat
terror /ˈtɛr.ə/ C1	noun - extreme fear, especially caused by violent acts or threats
condolence /kənˈdɒl.əns/ C1	noun - an expression of sympathy, especially after a death
solidarity /ˌsɒl.ɪˈdeə.rɪ.ti/ C1	noun - unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with common interest
explosive /ɪkˈspləʊsɪv/ B2	adjective - capable of causing an explosion noun - a substance or device that explodes
weapon /ˈwɛpən/ B1	noun - an instrument used for fighting or self‑defence
shock /ʃɒk/ B2	noun - a sudden upsetting or surprising event or feeling verb - to cause someone to feel surprised or upset
heroism /ˈhiː.rə.ɪzəm/ C1	noun - great courage or noble qualities displayed in a dangerous situation
justice /ˈdʒʌs.tɪs/ B2	noun - the quality of being fair and reasonable; the administration of law