Her safe haven turn into this nightmare

There’s a story London keeps telling itself about its Jews.

There have been periods of antisemitism and exile.

There have also been periods of safe haven and prosperity.

After a spate of antisemitic events in the last few months, yesterday, two Jews were stabbed on the street in Golders Green.

It happened 300 yards away from where the Hatzalah Ambulances were burned earlier this month.

A Somali-born UK national stabbed Moshe Shine, 76, in his throat, and managed to stab Shilome Rand, another man in his 30's. The injuries were serious, but thank God, now both men are in stable condition.

A new terror group associated with Iran claimed the attack. The target was "Zionists."

Chief Rabbi of England, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, said this in response to the attack, "...two people who are visibly Jewish were attacked because they were visibly Jewish. What that means is Jewish people are not safe all the time.”

Jews who are visibly Jewish (wearing outward symbols of Judaism, such as head or hair coverings, Magen David jewelry, speaking Hebrew or Yiddish, etc) have now long been a target not just in London, but many places around the world since Oct 7th and its aftermath of antisemitism.

Many of London's politicians have expressed "horror" at this escalation of violence towards Jews. The UK government has pledged more money for security for Jewish communities, like guards and police.

But security doesn't solve this problem of rhetoric and hatred.

Of antisemitism taking over England’s streets, universities, politics, media....

Trying to create a bubble around the Jewish community doesn't stop the threats nor stem the flow of hatred that is currently flooding the community.

Who is going to take control over the culture, politics, and media - and rehabilitate the disease that is taking control over the UK?

I'll say this:

On a personal level, Golders Green was where my grandmother lived in London when she escaped Nazi Germany as a child. It's where her family survived the Blitz, learned English, and planned their new life in America.

I have hakarat hatov for the landing space that the neighborhood gave us.

If my grandmother were still alive, she would be horrified to see her safe haven turn into this nightmare.

The UK doesn’t just have a problem.

It’s standing at a threshold.

And I can’t help but wonder...

How many times can a place pretend it doesn’t know how this ends?

Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP