In the aftermath of the cowardly arson attack targeting the former headquarters of Jewish Futures in Hendon, it is tempting for us to retreat solely into the language of fear, security and survival. We must speak about those things. But we must be very careful not to speak only about those things.
To my fellow Jews, I say this as clearly and as urgently as I can – we cannot allow antisemitism to become the defining lens through which we speak to our young people. Yes, security is essential. In the current climate, higher walls, tighter protection and increased vigilance are not luxuries; they are necessities. We thank the CST and the police for all they do for our community. But let us not delude ourselves. Security alone is not a strategy. It is, at best, a holding position.
If all we offer the next generation is fear management, we will quickly lose them.
This very week, we have seen the announcement of the closure of a leading Jewish school. That is not unrelated to the moment we are living through. It is a stark and painful reminder that the challenge we face is not only from without, but from within. Our response, therefore, must be urgent, unapologetic and ambitious. We must double down – not only on protection, but also on inspiration.
The greatest bulwark against antisemitism is not merely physical infrastructure. It is identity.
A young person who knows who they are, who feels part of a story larger than themselves, who experiences the depth, beauty and relevance of Jewish life – that young person is far harder to intimidate, marginalise or lose. If previous generations built schools and shuls, our generation must build pathways of meaning – spaces where young Jews choose connection – not out of fear, but out of conviction, optimism and pride.
That requires serious, strategic investment not only in formal education, but in informal education too – experiences, encounters, travel, dialogue, storytelling, community. These are not peripheral extras. They are today’s front line. This is how we secure the future – not only by protecting Jewish life, but by igniting engagement with it.
Furthermore, this is not only a Jewish story.
To my fellow British citizens who are not of the Jewish faith, I say this – what is happening to the Jewish community concerns you too. Jews have been described as the canary in the coal mine – the first to detect the tremors, the first to feel the danger, but never the last. History has shown, time and again, that when hatred towards Jews is normalised, it rarely stops there.
The question is not whether this affects wider British society. The question is whether broader society recognises it soon enough.
There was a time when Britain took pride in its culture of robust debate – passionate, even heated disagreement, but always within the bounds of civility. When I studied politics and international relations at the LSE, we were encouraged to challenge, to argue, to contend rigorously. However, violence was never on the table. Physical assault can never be an option in a liberal democracy. That remains non-negotiable.
If violence becomes tolerated, even at the fringes, it will not remain there. We ignore this at our peril. We must ask difficult but necessary questions about how extremism has been allowed to take root, how radical ideas have become normalised, how rhetoric has been permitted to spill over into malicious action.
Part of the answer lies in education. Education in a democratic society is meant to cultivate critical thinking, foster respectful disagreement and promote dialogue over division. Yet too often today, we are witnessing the opposite – intolerance over inquiry, radicalisation over reasoning, dogma over debate. Social and digital ecosystems have accelerated this shift, amplifying extreme views and allowing them to be reinforced and weaponised.
If we are serious about safeguarding Britain’s future, we must restore a culture where ideas are challenged, not silenced; where differences are debated, not attacked; where people are engaged, not dehumanised.
This is not about protecting one community alone. It is about protecting the very fabric of British society. If we want Britain to be truly great, it will not be achieved through recourse to intolerance, but through a recommitment to decency, rationality and civil discourse.
The flames that were lit in Hendon this weekend must not be allowed to spread – not on our streets, not in our discourse, and not in the hearts of the next generation, no matter how strongly held an opinion.
Rabbi Naftali Schiff is founder and CEO of Jewish Futures
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