Bread dumped outside Jewish homes in Stamford Hill during Passover
Motive unknown as Shomrim reviews CCTV footage
Unidentified individuals placed bread outside several Jewish homes in north London during the Passover holiday, in what community members have described as a provocative and distressing act.
The incidents occurred on Saturday and again on Monday in Stamford Hill, a neighbourhood with a large Haredi Jewish population. Dozens of pita breads were found outside residential properties in the area, according to reports by Behadrei Haredim, an Israeli news outlet.
Local Jewish security group Shomrim said it is reviewing CCTV footage to try to identify those responsible. No arrests have been made.
The motive remains unclear. Elad Simchayoff, the London correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12 News, described the incidents as “anti-Jewish hatred and harassment”. However, two local residents quoted by Behadrei Haredim said they believed the culprit may be Jewish, though they did not provide evidence to support the claim.
A similar act was reported outside the home of Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman. In that case, pitas were used to spell out the phrase “one pita a day”, referencing the food rations reportedly given to Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Silman condemned the action as the work of “vile people devoid of basic human values”.
During Passover, observant Jews do not consume or keep leavened products, known as chametz, in their homes.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
