London’s Jewish community is in shock after the deadly anti-Semitic attack in at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach, Australia. It also has the local Jewish community on edge. On Monday, a London Police cruiser remained outside the Jewish Community Centre on Huron Street – an all-too-common site each time a high-profile terrorist act against Jews occurs around the world, said Dean Lavi, executive director of Jewish London. “The rise in anti-Semitism, the normalization of Jew hatred in our society inevitably leads to Jews being murdered,” said Lavi. Lavi said the attack comes at a time when Jewish people are already feeling targeted. “This has been a very hard two years for the Jewish community. We see in London and across the country that anti-Semitism has shot up dramatically in London. The police reporting, the hate-reporting that just came out, it says that Jews in London are 35 times more likely to suffer a hate incident that the average Londoner,” he stated. Police Chief Thai Truong issued a statement on social media Sunday, saying, “…our hearts go out to all who were impacted by the senseless violence…” Chief Truong told CTV News LPS continues to work provincial, national and international law enforcement partners to monitor events and share intelligence. “Intelligence guides us in how we’re going to deploy, and positions us, helps us position how we’re going to respond from a reactive model to a proactive model,” he explained. “You will see more police officers visibly present in the Jewish community, in places of worship, and at events throughout the city.” In the meantime, Rabbi Mendel Gurkow, Director of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning of London, said it’s important to continue celebrating Hanukkah, especially in light of the tragedy. “The message of Hanukkah, the menorah standing right behind me, every night throughout Hanukkah we light another candle, increasing in light. And the menorah specifically lit after dark. Because the message of Hanukkah is that a little bit of light goes a long way in illuminating darkness,” said Rabbi Gurkow.
