Does our community really have a future in this country? - The Jewish Chronicle

The Jewish community in Britain has been shaken to its core by the abhorrent terror attack in Manchester. That such an atrocity could take place on the holiest day of our year, as families walked to synagogue to pray, leaves us horrified and heartbroken.

And yet, tragically, it does not leave us surprised. For too long, it has felt like a matter of when, not if. Antisemitism has been rising unchecked across the UK. We have warned, pleaded, and demanded action – but little has changed.

At JNF UK, we have experienced this first-hand. Our own London office was attacked not long ago. Our building was defaced in a crime clearly motivated by hate. We had to fight to eventually have it recognised as a hate crime rather than dismissed as simple “vandalism.” In the end, but the police dropped the case and there was never any follow up .

As both the CEO of JNF UK and a father, I cannot ignore the reality we now live with. We no longer feel safe at work or in our daily lives as Jews. Walking to synagogue is an act that carries fear. Dropping our children at school is shadowed by anxiety about what might happen. These are not abstract worries – they are lived realities for Jews across Britain in 2025. And despite raising the alarm for years, our community’s voice has too often gone unheard.

As I reflect on these events, my despair is also matched by anger – anger that Jewish lives are treated as cheap and disposable; anger that, although it was clear to us all that such an attack was inevitable, little was done to prevent it. I am angered that Anglo Jewry, a community that has always given so much to this country, is now sacrificed at the altar of appeasement – of the masses and of the haters.

That is why we cannot accept more empty words. We don’t need another round of sympathy, however well-intentioned. We don’t need more carefully crafted statements of solidarity. Building higher fences and marshalling more security around our schools, synagogues, and communal buildings is not the answer. What we need is action – real, decisive action from government, police, media, and wider society to ensure that British Jews can live without fear.

The question of whether Anglo Jewry has a future has never felt so stark. There is hardly a Shabbat table, a family gathering, or a conversation among friends where the subject does not arise: “Should we be thinking about aliyah?” “Is there a future for us here?” These are no longer abstract or fringe discussions – they have become part of the daily reality of British Jewish life. And they are fuelled not only by rising antisemitism but by the deafening silence and inaction of those in power. Successive governments have promised to protect Britain’s Jews, yet time and again, they have failed to deliver. Warm words and candlelit vigils do not keep our children safe. Unless our leaders find the courage to confront hatred head-on – not appease it, not excuse it – Anglo Jewry’s future in this country will slip away.

And, as we call for action, we also extend our full solidarity to Manchester. JNF UK has a long and cherished history with this community, and many of our most loyal supporters are proud Mancunians. Their generosity, commitment, and devotion to Israel have shaped JNF UK’s work for generations. Today, in this darkest moment, we stand with them as family.

To the Jewish community of Manchester: know that you are not alone. Your grief is our grief. Your fear is our fear. And your fight for safety, dignity, and the right to live openly as Jews is our fight.

On behalf of JNF UK, I send strength and love to Manchester. Together, we must ensure that hatred does not win. Am Yisrael Chai.

Elan Gorji is CEO of JNF UK

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Topics:

Heaton park synagogue attack

Manchester

JNFUK