Two Jewish elementary schools in north London will be closing their doors until next week due to a rise of antisemitism amid the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
Sky News reported that Torah Vodaas Primary School in Edgware and Ateres Beis Yaakov Primary School in Colindale both informed parents on Thursday evening they would not reopen until Monday.
In a letter to parents, Rabbi Feldman of Torah Vodaas said while there was “no specific threat to our school,” it was “not a decision that has been taken lightly”.
The war in Gaza has given British antisemites an excuse to attack the local Jews. Earlier this week, a kosher restaurant in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green in northern London had its windows broken, while an overpass a few meters away was vandalized with graffiti reading “Free Palestine”.
The Community Security Trust, a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism, said it had seen a 324% increase in reports of antisemitism as a result over the last four days. This included six assaults, 14 direct threats, three instances of vandalism, and 66 cases of abusive behavior, according to CST.
One father told Sky News he had been advised by his children’s school to alter their uniform “so they are not signaling in any way they are Jewish”.
He said: “And in 2023, for my kids to go to school and it not be okay for them to wear uniform, a kippa, star of David on their blazers, to have to hide their identity in 2023, it’s very scary.
“I am scared for myself and my family. It’s a scary situation.”
Their mother said there had been at least three policemen waiting outside her children’s school every day.