Thousands rally in Manchester in solidarity with Israel
Emotional speeches to mark 7 October
More than 4,000 people, including a large contingent of Manchester-based Iranians, gathered in the city on Sunday for a Manchester Stands With Israel March and Rally, organised by North West Friends of Israel (NWFOI) and supported by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region (JRC).
Participants marched though the city centre to St Peter’s Square, to remember the 7 October 2023 atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel.
In addition to honouring the 1,200 people murdered by Hamas and calling for the immediate the release of the 101 hostages still held in Gaza, the event also paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the IDF, and took a stand against the rise in antisemitism the Jewish community in the UK has experienced since last year.
NWFOI co-chair Raphi Bloom told the crowd: “We are not Jews with trembling knees any more. We will always stand up for Israel and our Jewish community here, in the face of rising Jew hate”.
JRC chair Mark Adlestone OBE spoke of his desire to rebuild inter-faith relationships and have the difficult conversations that had often been absent in interfaith forums after 7 October. He also highlighted the need for an education initiative directed at the Muslim community, to explain why Israel and Zionism is so central to British Jews.
Josh Simons, who is Jewish and the newly elected Labour MP for Makerfield, spoke passionately about how he would always stand up for Israel in Parliament, and his pride in being a Zionist. He was followed by Manchester UJIA chair Carmel Berke, who remembered families murdered on 7 October, and Rabbi Greg Bank of Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation.
The last speaker was Board of Deputies staffer Adam Ma’anit, whose cousin Ma’ayan was murdered on 7 October by Hamas, and whose uncle, Tsachi Idan, is still being held hostage in Gaza.
The event concluded with emotional and uplifting music from Serge Fagelman, a blast of the shofar from Rabbi Amir Ellituv, a minute’s silence and the national anthems of Great Britain and Israel.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
