Anti-Semitic vandalism made a dramatic appearance in England this past Saturday night. Vandals desecrated the Finsbury Park Synagogue in London, such that worshipers who entered the synagogue the next morning were greeted with a swastika painted on the rabbi\'s lectern, torn prayer books, and over 20 smashed windows. Green paint was splashed on the holy ark, and various religious articles were destroyed. An Israeli flag, which had been stomped on and covered in paint, lay on the floor.
Statistics show a seven-fold increase in attacks on British Jews since the beginning of the year. Jeremy Newmark, the official spokesman for the UK\'s Chief Rabbi, emphasized the seriousness of this attack: \"This is the first incident in the country that resembles what\'s happening on the continent [the rest of Europe].\" Jewish communities throughout Europe have encountered a wave of attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools, and cemeteries in the past several months. A synagogue in Marseilles, France was recently burned to the ground.
Statistics show a seven-fold increase in attacks on British Jews since the beginning of the year. Jeremy Newmark, the official spokesman for the UK\'s Chief Rabbi, emphasized the seriousness of this attack: \"This is the first incident in the country that resembles what\'s happening on the continent [the rest of Europe].\" Jewish communities throughout Europe have encountered a wave of attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools, and cemeteries in the past several months. A synagogue in Marseilles, France was recently burned to the ground.