The Mayor of London has responded to a recent report by Stamford Hill Shomrim, a proactive neighborhood watch organisation within the Orthodox Jewish community. The research recorded a shocking 32 anti-Semitic incidents in just one month – described as the “tip of the iceberg” by the President of Stamford Hill Shomrim, Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE.

London Assembly Member Andrew Dismore asked the Mayor for comment on the study. The following is a key extract from his response:

“That number of reports in a single month is of concern to me.

“Both I and the MPS agree that hate crime is under-reported and this is particularly true with regard to hate crime affecting London’s Orthodox Jewish communities. My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is familiar with the Shomrim and we recognise that they have been instrumental in providing third party reporting from a traditionally hard to reach community.

“I congratulate them on their efforts. The MPS has reached out to the Charedi community specifically to raise awareness and confidence, and the Shomrim is working with the MPS to see how they could make use of the MOPAC hate crime reporting app.

“My insistence on a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime will be reflected in my Police and Crime Plan for London, which is currently being developed. There will be an extensive consultation on the plan, offering Londoners the opportunity to express their views on how the challenge of hate crime will be met, and all other policing issues. The Shomrim and the Orthodox communities will have an important contribution to make to the plan and the activities that follow.”

The study referenced recorded an average of eight anti-Semitic incidents per week – including assaults, criminal damage, threats of violence, threats to kill and verbal abuse. Stamford Hill is an area in Hackney and Haringey, in London, with a significant Orthodox Jewish community.

The youngest victim was just 8-years-old and the oldest was 57, and all were visibly Jewish. Men were more likely to be targeted than women, possibly because Orthodox men wear more distinct clothing and are more immediately identifiable as Jewish.

• In one case, an 11-year-old boy was surrounded and told to remove his skull cap; he was then threatened with violence if he didn’t comply.

• A 55-year-old Jewish woman was asked, while praying, if she covered her hair on her hair because Hitler had shaved it off – the perpetrator then made a Nazi salute.

• An 8-year-old boy was assaulted by a male who told him he was a “stupid Jew” and the child came running home crying.

• Three Jewish females were chased by perpetrators shouting “The Jewish people are rich, horrible Jewish people, give us your money” – needless to say, the victims were terrified.

President of Stamford Hill Shomrim, Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, welcomed the Mayors comments: “I welcome the response from the Mayor of London Mr Sadiq Khan, and look forward for Shomrim to work closely together with the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police in challenging and reducing anti-Semitic incidents targeted at the Charedi Jewish Community in London”.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)