Injured Heaton Park Synagogue hero considering move to Israel
Yoni Finlay told the Sunday Times that 'it's become hard to recognise the UK anymore, with the hate marches and the chanting'
A Heaton Park synagogue hero who held the shul doors closed against the terrorist during the terrifying Yom Kippur attack – and was shot during the police response – has talked about how he is considering moving his family to Israel, describing how the extreme environment in Britain means “it’s become hard to recognise the UK anymore”.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Yoni Finlay, who suffered a collapsed lung when a police bullet hit him, said that “with the [pro-Palestinian] hate marches and the chanting. It’s very difficult. People being angry at Israel shouldn’t turn that into hatred of Jews. I have said this again and again: words have impact, and actions have consequences. And this sort of terrorist attack is the consequence.”
Finlay was preparing to lead prayers at Heaton Park synagogue that morning when “a big loud thump” was heard. The shul’s chair of trustees entered the sanctuary, shouting for some of those present – 37 at that point – to “get the doors closed”. One member who had managed to get inside was covered in blood, having been stabbed. The shul’s security guard, Bernard Agyemang, was run over during the attack – Finlay told the Sunday Times that Agyemang has a “long road to recovery”.
He and others then saw Jihad Al-Shamie, the terrorist, moving towards the front of the Synagogue, brandishing a knife and wearing what looked like an explosive vest (later discovered to be fake).
““I believe there is light and there is darkness, and there was a huge amount of darkness that day,” Finlay told the Sunday Times. “I have never been that close to evil. You could feel it radiating off him.”
Finlay said Al-Shamie attempted to open multiple doors and that “if we weren’t holding them I’m convinced he would have opened them”. He said that at one point the terrorist yelled “this is for the kids you have killed”, a likely reference to the situation in Gaza.
When the police arrived, they shot Al-Shamie after warnings, but the terrorist then got back up and began moving towards the police, after which they opened fire again. At that point, a bullet appears to have passed through Al-Shamie and entered Finlay’s chest, collapsing his left lung. That same bullet then exited Finlay and hit the 53-year old Adrian Daulby, killing him.
“It didn’t hurt but I knew immediately I’d been shot,” Finlay said. “It just feels like a really hard punch. I didn’t know at the time that my left lung had collapsed. The bullet went through and out of my lower back. I didn’t know that Adrian was behind me. I didn’t know until much later what happened to him.”
Yoni’s father, a retired Geriatrician, was at the shul and arrived at his injured son’s side.
“He didn’t have the training for a gunshot wound”, Finlay said. “That was a difficult thing for a son to hear their father say, because they are always there to help and support you.”
He was raced to Manchester Royal Infirmary, where he underwent a 7 hour operation to repair his lung, as well as damage to his diaphragm and kidney. He woke up to see his parents, as well as his 16-year old son. His children had been staying at their mother’s house nearby, with their parents having divorced in 2020. It was only at that point that he found out that Adrian Daulbey, as well as the 66 year old Melvin Cravitz, had been killed.
“There is a huge amount of guilt,” he said. “It’s really difficult. I’m talking about recuperation and doing well. I am doing alright but others aren’t. I survived and they didn’t. Why?
“I don’t ever think I’ll make full sense of it. We don’t know why things happen. I believe whatever happened to me happened for a reason and the fact I was given that second chance was meant to happen as well. There is a Jewish saying: ‘Kiddush Hashem’, which means ‘sanctification of God’s name’. They both died sanctifying God’s name, there is no question.”
He praised the NHS, as well as the rapid police response – and has been clear that he does not blame the officer who shot him. “I wouldn’t want anybody to lose their job over what happened,” he said. “Ultimately, the police ran towards danger to protect us. They were doing everything they could to try to stop a terrorist trying to kill us. That’s what they were doing.”
However, he told the paper that he has been discussing with his ex-wife the possibility of making Aliyah with the four children from their marriage, who have experienced antisemitism themselves.
“It would be really upsetting to leave Manchester”, he said.
“This is my home town. I am Mancunian. But I can’t bring my kids up in this environment.”
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