A man was caught on camera removing mezuzahs from doorframes of Jewish homes in northwest London’s Golders Green neighborhood, prompting fears of a targeted antisemitic campaign.
The incidents were reported in recent days to the neighborhood watch group Shomrim, which is working with local police to investigate the acts. Community members say the events have heightened anxiety in an area with a large Orthodox Jewish population.
A man caught removing a Mezuzah from a door frame in London
(Video: Shomrim)
A mezuzah is a small parchment scroll inscribed with biblical verses, placed in a decorative case and affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes as a sign of faith and protection.
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Shomrim volunteers are working in coordination with local police, gathering footage from security cameras in the area. In one of the documented cases, the suspect is seen pulling a knife from his pocket, approaching a front door and forcefully removing the mezuzah that was affixed there.
This is not the first incident to cast a shadow over the community’s sense of security. In February, a Muslim resident was arrested after vandalizing Jewish-owned businesses and attacking passersby in the same neighborhood. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect shouted in Arabic, attempted to strike pedestrians and confronted customers near shops known to be affiliated with the Jewish community.
A similar mezuzah removal incident occurred earlier this year in North London. In that case, a masked man tore down a mezuzah on a Shabbat from the entrance of a Chabad synagogue and from a nearby kosher restaurant.