Hanukkah menorah damaged in Muswell Hill

A menorah celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah has been damaged in north London, with its light-bulbs smashed.

The Metropolitan Police said it was treating the incident in Muswell Hill as religiously aggravated criminal damage and that no arrests had been made at this stage.

Rabbi Boruch Altein from the Crouch End Chabad, which erected the menorah, said: "This incident is saddening, but we're not going to be intimidated and we will increase the light", adding that the menorah would be repaired and relit on Sunday.

It comes after 15 people were killed in mass shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach on 14 December.

Rabbi Altein said the Jewish community in Crouch End had been left heartbroken by the attack in Sydney, but added that "we've been heartened by the outpouring of support since, including a beautiful note and flowers placed by the Muswell Hill Menorah".

He added: "We're going to continue adding in goodness and kindness, and when good people join together we far outnumber the haters."

Local resident and City of London councillor Jason Groves grew up near Bondi, and has many friends in the Bondi Jewish community. He said "it was particularly distressing to see an act so hate-filled close to home that soon after the atrocity in Australia".

"I am glad that the Jewish community will be relighting the Muswell Hill menorah again. The light must always overcome the darkness."

The incident in Muswell Hill was reported to police on Thursday evening.

Supt Owen Renowden, hate crime lead for the Metropolitan Police, said: "This has been a tremendously difficult week for the Jewish community following the terror attack in Australia at the weekend, and I appreciate how these hate-crime incidents will cause further hurt and distress.

"We're working closely with local partners including religious leaders and have put in place additional visible patrols.

"We are treating these reports extremely seriously and will update further when we can."

The Crouch End Chabad said they were working with the police and the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which protects British Jews from antisemitism and terrorism, to identify what happened.

It follows two other vandalism incidents this month targeting Hanukkah menorahs in London, which the Metropolitan Police say they are treating as religiously aggravated hate crimes.

On Tuesday, police received two reports — one that a painting of a Menorah was damaged with white paint in Notting Hill, and another that a menorah in Shepherd's Bush had been damaged so that it would no longer light up.

The CST called the vandalism of Hanukkah menorahs in London "appalling and disgraceful, particularly in the wake of the horrific terror attack in Sydney where Jewish people were killed while celebrating Hanukkah".

"The story of Hanukkah is one of light and hope, and Jewish people should be free to celebrate this holiday without fear or hatred."

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