The North London neighbourhood plagued by anti-Semitic attacks: How Hackney's ... trends now
Shocking CCTV showing the 'attempted kidnap' of a Jewish man in Stamford Hill will renew fears the area is being singled out by violent bigots due to its large Jewish community.
The neighbourhood in North London is home to the biggest population of Hasidic Jews in Europe and has long been plagued by anti-Semitic assaults, but these appear to have increased in intensity since the October 7 terror attacks on Israel.
Suspected hate crimes reported to police in recent months include thugs on bikes randomly assaulting men in traditional Jewish dress and a horrific robbery that saw a 20-year-old woman allegedly beaten unconscious.
Graffiti showing the Star of David crossed out has also appeared in the neighbourhood, while a religious school was left daubed in red paint.
Shomrim, a local community watch group, warned Stamford Hill was being targeted due to being a 'Jewish neighbourhood'. Many residents dress in traditional black hats and coats, making them easily identifiable.
Shocking CCTV footage showing yesterday's 'attempted kidnap' in Stamford Hill, north London
Stamford Hill, in the borough of Hackney, has been home to a large community of Hasidic Jews for more than a hundred years
The area is home to the largest community of Hasidic Jews in Europe. Pictured is a file photo showing a Jewish man on the local high street
Stamford Hill, in the borough of Hackney, has been home to a large community of Hasidic Jews for more than a hundred years.
Jews from Eastern Europe who had settled in Whitechapel began to move west towards the end of the 19th century, and in 1926 the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations was established in the area.
After the Holocaust, as Jews fled persecution in Europe, many different Orthodox groups arrived in the area and soon a network of distinct independent schools, with their own synagogues, was formed.
Today, Stamford Hill is the largest community of ultra-orthodox Jews in the UK, with local officials putting the total population at 25,000.
Haredi Jews follow a highly observant and communal religious life, dressing in traditional clothes and shunning potentially corrupting influences like the TV or Internet - although exceptions can be granted for business reasons.
The community in Stamford Hill has regularly been a target for harassment and intimidation.
Following another incident of racist graffiti in February, the local Shomrim said: 'The fact the Jewish neighbourhood of Stamford Hill is being targeted clearly shows prejudice.
'The Jewish community of Stamford Hill should be allowed to live in peace without constant threats and intimidation, irrespective of world events.'
A man on a bike randomly attacking Jewish men in Stamford Hill on December 21
A Star of David covered with an 'x' at a bus stop in Stamford Hill in December 2023
Abdullah Qureshi, was handed a hospital order for travelling to the area from 180 miles away in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire specifically for the
