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Rabbi Yossi Bodenheim

Leading rabbi attacked in Scotland

While walking with his wife and children near the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, a woman suddenly shoved Rabbi Bodenheim's wife, threw his kippa to the ground and ran away; 'You can imagine the kind of distress my children were in.'

A leading rabbi in Scotland was violently set upon in a recent anti-Semitic attack while walking with his children and wife in Edinburgh.

 

 

Rabbi Yossi Bodenheim, the Jewish Chaplain for Scottish universities, was with his family when a woman suddenly pushed his wife and snatched his kippah (skullcap) off his head, throwing it on the ground.

 

The incident took place in central Edinburgh under a mile away from the Scottish parliament.

 

Rabbi Yossi Bodenheim
Rabbi Yossi Bodenheim

 

“My wife and I took our four young children for a walk in this beautiful city,” Bodenheim told members of the Scottish parliament shortly after the ordeal. “But as we were walking, a woman pushed my wife aside, grabbed my kippah, threw it on the ground and ran away. That took place less than a mile from here. Right in front of my young children. You can imagine the kind of distress they were in.”

 

One month ago, a study funded by the Scottish government was published showing that one in six Jews in Scotland choose to conceal the fact that they are Jewish, while many fear for their lives. The study also found that many Jews are considering leaving Scotland due to anti-Semitism.

 

Rabbi Bodenheim went on to share his experiences as a Jewish Chaplain for Scottish universities, noting that it was his responsibility to ensure that Jewish students felt comfortable on campus.

 

Nicola Livingston, Chair of the Jewish Student Chaplaincy Scotland, said that the incident highlights the increase in anti-Semitism in Scotland.

  

"I know the family were quite traumatized, it’s quite a difficult thing to speak about publicly, you don’t want to be seen as too vulnerable," she said. “The Scottish Government needs to condemn such incidents when they happen, and that’s why Yossi used the opportunity to speak to MSPs.”

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.12.16, 13:32
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