“Two suspects, who were wearing dark clothing and balaclavas, approached the synagogue in Fallow Court Avenue, Finchley, shortly after midnight, 00:00hrs on Wednesday, 15 April and threw two bottles, suspected to contain petrol, and a brick at the building.
“Neither bottle ignited and no damage was reported. There were no injuries.”
The police confirmed that synagogue staff had reported the attack to the police at 08:30, and said that “officers are conducting urgent enquiries to trace the suspects. No arrests have been made at this early stage.
“The incident is being investigated by detectives from the Met’s North West Command Unit, with support from specialist detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing London.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, said:
“We are aware of the significant concern that this incident will cause in the community, particularly in the wake of the arson attack in Golders Green last month. We are working with the affected synagogue and continuing to meet with community leaders.
“I would like to reassure the community that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and detectives are working urgently to identify the suspects.
“If you have any CCTV, dash cam footage or information that could help officers please contact the police.
“Residents can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area over the coming days. We have brought in additional officers and would urge anyone with concerns to speak to them.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, providing the reference 1685/15APR or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Jewish News understands that the synagogue’s regular schedule is being maintained, although there is a large police and CST presence at the site.
The Jewish community is at a state of high alert following the firebombing of four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green a few weeks ago, as well as the terror attack carried out at Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur last year.
Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, the constituency in which the synagogue is situated, said: “This morning, I became aware of an attempted arson attack at Finchley Reform Synagogue overnight. Thankfully, no one has been hurt. I have been at the synagogue, supporting local residents and community leaders.
“This shocking attempt to harm a local synagogue follows a series of alarming attacks on the Jewish community in Finchley and Golders Green.
“As your local MP, and as a member of the community, I refuse to allow this to become the ‘new normal’. British Jews must be free to go about their lives without fear – whether taking their children to nursery or attending synagogue. We do not want to live behind ever higher walls.
“I thank the CST and Metropolitan Police for their quick and effective response. I will continue to raise the issues of antisemitism and security at the highest levels in Government to protect our community.”
Cantor Zöe Jacobs, on behalf of the senior clergy of Finchley Reform Synagogue, said: “FRS is a proud, progressive and welcoming space for all. We not only hold Jewish services and celebrations, but within our community we host a nursery, a homeless shelter, and are a safe place for refugees to gather.
“Last night, two men tried to attack our Synagogue and were unsuccessful.
“This is clearly an attempt to intimidate the British Jewish community, but we will not be deterred by these cowardly acts. Instead, we will continue to prioritise building bridges across the wider Barnet community.
“At this time, and as always, our community is being incredibly well supported by the police, the government, CST and all of our key partners.”
Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, Co-Leads of The Movement for Progressive Judaism, of which FRS is a member, added: “This incident is part of a wider rise in antisemitism that is affecting Jewish communities across the country. We will continue to work with the police and CST to prioritise the safety, resilience and confidence of all our communities.”
A spokesperson for CST said: “We are aware of an attempted arson overnight at Finchley Reform Synagogue that is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. There were no injuries and no significant damage to the building. We are supporting the affected location and are working closely with the police as they investigate and seek to identify those responsible. We urge anyone with information to contact the police on 999 and then CST.”
Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council, said:
“The attempted arson attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue, carried out deep into the night by masked thugs, was the work of bullies and cowards.
“We are supporting the police with their enquiries into this antisemitic hate crime to identify the suspects as soon as possible. We stand with members of Finchley Reform Synagogue and the wider Jewish community. Relevant councillors are in touch with the synagogue. Antisemitism cannot be tolerated in Barnet and we are dedicated to combatting it now and always.”
