In a response to perceived security threats and planned protests in support of Palestinians, three Jewish schools in North London have temporarily closed their doors. Concerns over potential

violence and disturbances led to this decision, with parents being advised to keep their children indoors. The Community Security Trust, an organization offering security guidance for British Jews, recommended that schools remain open, but some institutions decided to err on the side of caution.

Menorah High School in Brent, Torah Vodaas Primary School, and Ateres Beis Yaakov in Barnet all communicated the closures to parents. The head teacher of Menorah High School for Girls, Esther Pearlman, emphasized that the decision to close the school was influenced by the planned protests. In a letter to parents, she explained that the risk of violence in the streets prompted the closure, with police expressing concerns that students might venture outside if not in school.

David Landau, the chair of Menorah High School, pointed out that many Jewish schools in the area chose to remain open due to a perceived lack of an immediate risk. However, he highlighted the international "day of rage" call and past antisemitic demonstrations in London as factors contributing to their decision. Landau expressed concern that an individual might take unwarranted actions, a risk that is challenging to mitigate.

Ateres Beis Yaakov, a small primary school, cited a call from former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal for protests across the Muslim world in support of Palestinians in their decision to close, emphasizing the safety of their pupils.

Parents of children at Torah Vodaas Primary School were guided by Rabbi Avrohom Gurwitz, a prominent leader in the Jewish Haredi community, who recommended the closure despite no specific threat to the school. The decision was described as challenging but made in the best interest of the children's safety.

While the closures raised concerns, the Community Security Trust (CST) advised Jewish schools to continue their operations as normal. The CST pointed out that all Jewish schools have government-funded security guards, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently pledged an additional £3 million to bolster security measures for schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community structures. This allocation was in response to the CST's reports of a fourfold increase in antisemitic incidents compared to the same period in 2022, with 139 recorded incidents in the past four days. Photo by Dani_7C3, Wikimedia commons.