A volunteer security group has expressed its outrage after Jewish prayer items were stolen from a car and desecrated by being dumped in a pond.
Shomrim said the incident took place in Stamford Hill, north London on Wednesday.
It tweeted a picture of the ruined items submerged in water and said: “The Jewish Community and all people of good faith are deeply shocked by the theft of Jewish holy ritual items from a car & the subsequent sacrilegious desecration of them by dumping them in a pond!
"Every Jew with any connection to their heritage seeing this feels deeply violated.”
The items included tefillin, which is a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah used for prayer.
Other items stolen and dumped in the water include a tallit, the fringed garment traditionally worn by people while they pray.
The Jewish Community and all people of good faith are deeply shocked by the theft of Jewish holy ritual items from a car& the subsequent sacrilegious desecration of them by dumping them in a pond! Every Jew with any connection to their heritage seeing this feels deeply violated. pic.twitter.com/gqFIKjG6gx
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) January 9, 2019
A spokesperson for local Metropolitan Police officers described the incident as “an absolute disgusting cowardly act by horrible individuals.”
They added: “I hope we catch those responsible.”
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also expressed her shock at the incident.
Ms Abbott, who is MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, represents the Charedi community in the area.
She tweeted: “This is terrible.”
This is terrible
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) January 10, 2019
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