Volunteers with the "Shomrim" organization for Israeli media in democracy are investigating a troubling incident in London that took place over the Passover holiday, in which an unknown individual scattered slices of bread and croutons outside the homes of dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jewish families living near the Stamford Hill neighborhood.
According to residents who spoke to the ultra-Orthodox news site B’Hadrei Haredim, the first incident occurred on Saturday — shortly after the deadline for removing chametz, or leavened products — a particularly sensitive time for observant Jewish families.
A second incident took place on Monday, the second holiday day of Passover observed in the Diaspora, and croutons were discovered on doorsteps again the following day.
Shomrim, which provides community security for the local Jewish population, contacted the police and began reviewing surveillance footage. “We’re trying to determine who’s behind this — whether it's an antisemitic act or a personal vendetta by a local resident,” said one volunteer.
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One resident told the outlet he believes the motive may not be traditional antisemitism. “There’s one Jewish man here who really doesn’t like the ultra-Orthodox,” he said. “We live just outside Stamford Hill and have good relations with our non-Jewish neighbors. We've never had issues with them.”
He added that the same individual had harassed them in the past. “Three months ago, he tore the eruv wire (boundary that allows Haredi Jews to carry needed things in public on Shabbat) and we had to come up with a creative way to prevent him from damaging it again.”
Another resident was more direct: “This is someone who clearly doesn’t want us here. It doesn’t seem like some random antisemite walking by — it happened right after the chametz deadline, again during the holiday and again yesterday with croutons. This is deliberate, ongoing harassment.”
Police have not yet released details about a suspect, but members of the community hope security footage will help identify the perpetrator and put an end to the repeated disturbances targeting religious Jewish residents in the area.