Teenage thugs hurl abuse at rabbi’s children in Borehamwood

Teenage thugs hurled anti-Semitic abuse at two young boys in Borehamwood this week.

The boys, aged 12 and 14, are the sons of Rabbi Alex Chapper, the new rabbi of Borehamwood and Elstree United Synagogue, who assumed his new position after Pesach.

Speaking this week, he told how his sons had decided to meet a friend at Aberford Park, when they were approached by the group. His 14-year-old son’s kippah was knocked off his head and he was kicked in the leg, while anti-Semitic comments were made to his 12-year-old son.

He said: “While in the park, they were surrounded by a group of teenagers around the same age who were calling out abusive and antisemitic words to them.

“They tried to extract themselves from the situation, but were followed and surrounded.
“Fortunately, a member of the community was also there, who called the police”.

In a Facebook post, Rabbi Chapper’s wife Eva thanked the local community for their support. She wrote: “Thank you everyone for all your concern. The boys are ok and the police and CST are dealing with it.

“I would like to point out that a local 11-year-old boy came over and told the older boys to leave my sons alone, he was very brave to do that and he also hung around to speak to police.”

Simon Mitchell, the incoming chairman of the Borehamwood and Elstree synagogue, said the community were “immediately made aware of this unfortunate incident and have given full support to Rabbi Chapper, his family and those who were affected.
“Thankfully, incidents of this nature in our community are rare, so we were shocked to hear this had happened.

“We’d like to thank Hertfordshire police and of course the CST for their swift response in dealing with this matter”.

Hertfordshire police are now investigating the matter as a racially aggravated incident.