Chanukah celebrations marred by epidemic of antisemitism in Stamford Hill
A spate of antisemitic incidents have taken place in Stamford Hill over the past fortnight during the Chanukah period, marring celebrations.
On 21st December a Jewish man walking back from a synagogue down Fairholt Road on the corner of Bethune Road was pelted with a glass bottle by an assailant shouting “dirty Jew” (CAD7178 21/12/19).
On 22nd December a white male pedestrian spat at the car of a Jewish motorists shouting “f***ing Jew”. It was then discovered that two other Jewish drivers, waiting at a traffic light, were abused by the same offender. The incident took place on Manor Road (CAD1907 22/12/19).
On 26th December, a man walked into a kosher butcher’s shop in Stamford Hill shouting antisemitic abuse and pointing his fingers at Jews in a gun gesture (CAD4725 /26/12/19).
On 1st January 2020, a Jewish lady tried to enter a lift with her children at Stratford Overground Station on their way home to Stamford Hill and politely asked a Muslim couple to make some space for them, only to have them shout “you Jewish people, you think you own the world, you stink” (British Transport Police ref 378 01/01/2020).
On 4th January, a Jewish man was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack by two men. The incident took place at 22:35 on Craven Park Road (CAD7256 4/1/2020).
On 5th January, two men were reported to have threatened Jewish worshippers at a synagogue on Heathland Road in Stamford Hill shortly after 01:00 (CAD562 05/01/2020).
Later in the morning of 5th January, a Jewish woman was approached on Durlston Road by a man brandishing a large knife and shouting “f***ing Jew”. Volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim followed the assailant until he was arrested by police (CAD3239 05/01/2020).
Also on 5th January, in the latest violent attack on a Jewish minor, a 13-year-old boy travelling on a bus was punched in the stomach as the male assailant shouted “you stupid Jews think you own the world” and “you f***ing Jews” (CAD4968 05/01/2020).
On 6th January, a Jewish mother was subjected to antisemitic abuse while waiting with her baby outside their home on Lordship Road for a taxi to hospital. The male assailant screamed, “f***ing Jewish c***” (CAD6471 06/01/2020).
All of these incidents were reported by Stamford Hill Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch patrol.
If you have any more information about any of these incidents, please contact the police on 101 or Stamford Hill Shomrim on 0300 999 0123, quoting the relevant reference number.
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “We are seeing violent attacks being perpetrated with increasing frequency on the observant Jewish community in Stamford Hill. Police, politicians and above all prosecutors must now urgently take on board the reality that the epidemic of anti-Jewish hate crime on the streets of London can only be stemmed through rapid and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Failure to act urgently may result in the atrocities that have been committed on the other side of the Atlantic being replicated here in the UK.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crime than any other faith group.
