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Bournemouth rabbi will ‘continue to live as proud Jew’ despite swastika vandalism on his home
Police in Bournemouth are investigating after a spate of incidents in the area
August 25, 2025 11:38
Police in Bournemouth are investigating after a spate of incidents in the area
August 25, 2025 11:38Bournemouth’s small Jewish community is reeling after facing what the CST has described as a “targeted attack” over Shabbat.
An unnamed male was shot with an air rifle from a passing car in Manor Road on the East Cliff area, while several swastikas were spotted in the vicinity, with the Nazi emblem also grafitted on the house of a local rabbi, CST reported.
Rabbi Alperowitz, who helps run Chabad Bournemouth, said: "Yesterday morning, as I walked out my door together with my children on the way to go to shul, we turned around to discover that some cowards visited our home on Friday night and decorated it with this symbol. Obviously this is very upsetting and alarming.”
He added: “[The] good news is that by the time you’re watching this video our wall will have been cleaned, thanks to some amazing people from the community, who came around to help clean it.”
Rabbi Alperowitz has insisted he will not be cowed by the incident: “We will continue to live as proud Jews here in Bournemouth. I will continue to walk around in Bournemouth together with my kippah on my head. The mezuzah will remain in front of our door.
“I want to encourage everyone to do exactly the same. Be proud of who you are, be proud to be Jewish, and never allow these forces of darkness and forces of evil to instill fear into our hearts.”
Commenting on the spate of incidents, CST said: “CST is appalled by a series of anti-Jewish hate crimes in Bournemouth over the weekend. These are abhorrent acts of racism that are deeply distressing for the Jewish community and should alarm everybody. We are supporting the local Jewish community and working with @dorsetpolice to assist their investigation.”
In a further statement, CST Regional Head, Andrew Kaye, said: “There was targeted attack on the Jewish Community yesterday (Saturday 23 August). The police are taking it very seriously and are undertaking a full investigation at the highest level.
“The police have visited all the victims and had patrols in the area during the night. The patrols will continue throughout the week. We are being kept updated by the police and will pass any further information when it is available.
“This is obviously upsetting and worrying, but please try to remain calm and rest assured everything possible is being done to track down the perpetrators.”
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