Manchester, England - Rabbis at two South Manchester synagogues have been given escorts by their congregants to Shabbat-morning services to protect them from antisemitic attacks.
Rabbi Joel Portnoy from Hale Barns and Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin from South Manchester synagogue in Bowdon have both been subjected to abuse while going to and from their respective synagogues. Now they have organised rotas of congregants to walk with them. These have involved groups of youths shouting racist abuse from vehicles at families walking to the synagogue on Shay Lane on Shabbat and egg-throwing.
Greater Manchester Police patrols generally have been stepped up in Hale Barns following a number of antisemitic and hate-crime incidents.
High-visibility police patrols including the force's mounted unit, along with Trafford Council's street-crime patrollers and anti-social-behaviour unit, have been put in place in "hotspot" locations at key times. Police said the aim was to reassure the community and deter criminal activity, as well as to gather intelligence to arrest those responsible.
Rabbi Rubin did not want to comment.
Rabbi Portnoy, who was the victim of a physical attack some years ago, also declined to comment. [thejc]
Topic: Manchester, England - Rabbis Get Protection from Anti-Semitic Drive-By Gangs (Read 2543 times)