Author J.K. Rowling brought attention to the latest in antisemitism in the United Kingdom as one school reportedly warned Jewish students to hide their identities.
The “Harry Potter” author took to social media where she lamented that the UK used to be a “safe haven” for Jews but, following the brutal aggression against Israel by terrorist Hamas forces, that seems to have changed in an unfortunate way.
“We said ‘never again.’ The U.K. was a safe haven. Now, after the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, British Jewish children are being advised to hide their identities as they walk to school, for their own safety,” Rowling wrote on X Thursday.
“There should be mass outrage that this is necessary,” she said along with an image of a letter from a parent noting what was happening at her daughter’s school.
We said ‘never again.’ The UK was a safe haven. Now, after the biggest massacre of Jews since the holocaust, British Jewish children are being advised to hide their identities as they walk to school, for their own safety. There should be mass outrage that this is necessary. pic.twitter.com/T8J4B6MSGe
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 12, 2023
“Two graduates of the Jewish Free School in London were killed during the Hamas attack on Saturday. Administrators told parents that students should avoid wearing uniform jackets that might identify them as Jewish, and for boys to wear baseball hats over their head coverings, according to the Independent,” Fox News reported.
Administrators reportedly said that the “most important thing is to ensure the safe passage of students between home and school and to make sure that this school is set up to care for our children during the school day.”
The parent’s letter shared by Rowling stated, “On advice from her school, our teenage daughter has gone off without her blazer this morning. Her male classmates have been advised to cover their skullcap with baseball caps.”
“On her pre-school dawn run yesterday she ran past the broken glass of a kosher cafe’s windows and a fresh anti-Israel slogan painted on a bridge,” the letter signed by Dr. Sarah Nachshen continued.
“All my grandparents were Holocaust survivors who found safe haven, and built new lives, in the UK, so of course I am twitching with latent anxiety and the creeping dangers of the masses not speaking out against terrorism,” she concluded with an added note about U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledging to support Jews.
The people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling attack.
They are not militants. They are not freedom fighters.
They are terrorists.
My message tonight from Finchley United Synagogue where I joined @chiefrabbi in vigil with local communities. pic.twitter.com/7eBJ6catbr
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 9, 2023
“CST, a group focused on Jewish security in the U.K., recorded at least 89 antisemitic incidents across the U.K. between Oct. 7 and 10. The group recorded just 21 incidents over the same four days in 2022, indicating a spike of 324%.” Fox News reported.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.