Museum Outraged at Murder of Jewish Worshippers on Judaism’s Holiest Day Amid Dangerous Surge in Global Antisemitism

WASHINGTON, DC — The Museum is outraged at the deadly terrorist attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, United Kingdom, on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur that killed two and injured three others. We send our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones and all members of the congregation. Attacking Jewish worshippers on any day, let alone the holiest day of the Jewish year, is a heinous act of antisemitic terrorism. 

Global antisemitism was increasing at a disturbing rate well before Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel almost two years ago. Since then antisemitism has exploded, and deadly attacks on Jews have become alarmingly common. This cannot become acceptable. It is not enough to condemn antisemitic violence. All sectors of society must unflinchingly confront antisemitism before it provokes even more deadly violence against innocent people. 

A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance. The power of Holocaust history challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.