Three Jewish schools in north London have announced they will be closing on Friday amid fears of potential violence resulting from planned protests in support of Hamas. Menorah High School, Torah Vodaas Primary School, and Ateres Beis Yaakov, located in Barnet, have sent letters to parents informing them of the closures. The head teacher of Menorah High School, a state secondary school with 389 pupils, expressed that the decision to close was made “in view of the planned protests.” The police have reportedly expressed concern about girls from Menorah High School potentially venturing outdoors and have advised parents to keep their children inside.
A letter to parents of students at Ateres Beis Yaakov cited former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal’s call for protests across the Muslim world in support of the Palestinians on Friday. The school’s decision to close was made in “the interest of the safety of our precious children.” Meanwhile, pupils at Torah Vodaas Primary School have received advice from prominent rabbi Avrohom Gurwitz to not attend school.
Although the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity providing security advice for British Jews, has advised schools to remain open, school closures have been implemented due to concerns surrounding violence and protests. The CST has, however, emphasized its advice for Jewish schools to remain open, as all institutions have security guards in place, provided for by the government. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has furthermore pledged £3m of extra money to protect schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community buildings in response to skyrocketing antisemitic incidents recorded by the CST in the past few days.
The decision to close schools comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine. A spokesperson for the CST documented four times more antisemitic incidents during the same period in 2021, compared to 2020. The BBC reported 139 antisemitic incidents in the past four days, according to the CST.
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