Jewish communities have urgent safety questions after synagogue attackpublished at 11:49 BST
Lucy Manning
Special correspondent
There are real conversations
among Jewish families about whether it is time to move, held by a people
who for centuries have had to flee antisemitism.
But this just doesn’t stem
from the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar,
yesterday, but from nearly two years, since Hamas’s 7 October 2023
attacks in Israel, of rising antisemitism in the UK.
British Jews have felt
threatened by the chants of “globalise the intifada” on the streets at
pro-Palestinian demonstrations week after week; the frequent shouts of
“Free Palestine” at observant Jews as they walk to synagogue on
Saturdays; the physical attacks against Jewish schoolchildren and those wearing
Jewish symbols; the antisemitism that has shown itself in staff across numerous
British institutions and most importantly the feeling that no one has listened,
cared or taken action.
Eighteen months ago I
interviewed Jewish sixth formers who were already saying they had taken off
their Jewish Star of David necklaces, or their families had removed their
mezuzah, a religious scroll on the outside of doorposts. Even before this
attack, some would lower their voice in a public place when discussing being
Jewish.
There is, of course, a
different response and others have chosen not to hide, not to allow their
communities to be terrorised, and the theme on the Jewish New Year last
week in synagogues was to have pride in being a British Jew.
And British Jews have felt
moved and fortified by those of other faiths and those of none who have reached
out. The Muslim friends who have sent messages of solidarity; the woman who
stood outside a different Manchester synagogue last night with a sign saying:
“I stand with my Jewish friends.”
But the questions linger and
are now urgent: why do Jewish institutions have ordinary members protecting the
gates of their synagogues and schools?
They were the people who
were the first line of defence yesterday. The government helps to fund the
Community Security Trust but why are Jewish men and women donning stab vests
and walkie talkies outside instead of joining in the prayers inside synagogues?
And why hasn’t more been
done to stop the words of violence and hate that Jewish people have felt
subjected to on the streets of the UK?
As the Chief Rabbi said,
this is the day British Jews knew would come.
