A group of youths launched fireworks towards a synagogue in northwest London on Sunday, as the Jewish community marked the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
The incident occurred at Lauderdale Road Synagogue in Maida Vale at approximately 3:23 p.m. Five youths were reportedly seen outside the synagogue before two "rocket fireworks" were fired towards the building.
The synagogue was empty at the time, and no injuries or damage were reported.
Security footage showed the group waiting outside the synagogue shortly after a family, including young children, walked past following a nearby Rosh Hashanah lunch. The fireworks were launched after the family had passed, causing loud bangs before the youths fled the area.
The S&P Sephardi Community, which oversees Lauderdale Road Synagogue, informed members of the incident and said it had been reported to police and the Community Security Trust (CST).
"Two rocket fireworks were let off towards the synagogue by a group of young people. The building was empty at the time, no one was hurt, and there was no damage to report beyond the incident itself," the community said.
It added that worshippers should continue attending the synagogue as planned while remaining alert and following instructions from security personnel.
Rabbi Amir Ellituv, a senior rabbi at Lauderdale Road Synagogue, said, "Jewish families should be able to come together to celebrate Rosh Hashanah safely, openly and without fear."
"Our synagogue is a place of prayer, community and celebration, and no one should feel intimidated or afraid when coming to worship," he added.
Ellituv stressed that the community would not be deterred from gathering and thanked security personnel and the CST for their assistance.
The CST said it was aware of the incident and was working with police to establish the circumstances.
"This did not occur during services, and we do not believe that anybody was hurt, but it is nonetheless a serious incident that will undoubtedly cause concern," a CST spokesman said.
The incident occurred just days after three 14-year-old Jewish boys were allegedly assaulted on a bus in north London in an incident being investigated by the Metropolitan Police as an antisemitic hate crime.
The teenagers were traveling near Sanders Lane in Mill Hill on September 10, the day before Rosh Hashanah. Two of the boys told police they had been physically assaulted, while all three reported being subjected to hate speech.
Police said the suspect in that incident was believed to be a white British man and that investigators were working to identify him.
The two incidents follow several other attacks targeting Jews and Jewish institutions in London this year.
In late April, two Orthodox Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. Following the attack, Britain raised its national terrorism threat level from "substantial" to "severe" for the first time in more than four years.
Weeks before the stabbing, an arson attack destroyed four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Hatzolah emergency medical organization in the same London neighborhood.
The CST recorded 1,926 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first six months of 2026, an increase of 21% compared with the corresponding period in 2025. Of those incidents, 96 targeted synagogues, their congregants, or staff.