As a matter of fact, many of the Jews of Stamford Hill have gone out, as spectators, to watch the action of the rioting and the police response. They have been caught on film running away when things got too hot.
No big deal. I am sure it was interesting to watch before things got too dangerous.
Regardless, back to the point, Stamford Hill is very close to Tottenham, and the hassidic residents are starting to feel the danger as the riots spread.
A local resident was quoted as saying "I think we are fortunate that we are getting on a plane this Thursday and going with the whole family to Israel. I don't know how [the riots] will develop, but it is clear there is a lot of fear. Here too we encounter blacks every day that are walking around on the streets, but right now it is impossible to know how they will react."
Are "blacks" in England called "African Americans"? Obviously not. What are they called - Blacks? African English? I have no idea what this guy should have called them.
Regardless of that, I don't know anything about this particular fellow who was quoted, besides for the fact tat his name was Abraham. I do know that Stamford Hill is largely made up of anti-Zionists, and those who are not anti are at best largely ambivalent to the State of Israel. Despite that, with the Jews of Stamford Hill finding themselves in danger, Israel is here for them. And they know it. And they can remain anti-Zionist and still use Israel as their safe haven in their time of need. No problem.
After all, that is what Israel is all about. To be a home for the Jews. Like it or not.
Tottenham was a big Jewish working class neighborhood in the past, I think. Hotspurs fans are still called the 'Yid army'.
ReplyDeleteI know some Brit jews who are Hotspurs fans. But I dont remember having met, in the past 21 years, a British Jew who still lives in Tottenham. I dont know how big the community is now, if at all, but it seems most have moved away to other neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteSPURS AND JEWS GO HAND IN HAND AND IT MAY BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TIME FOR BOTH
DeleteThe major difference for the Stamford Hill crowd is that in Britain they're watching the rioters while in Israel they are the rioters.
ReplyDeleteThere is still a substantial chassidishe community in South Tottenham, which is just north of Stamford Hill.
ReplyDeleteI live for years in South Tottenham where there is like in Stamford Hill a very large Hassidic community and an Orthodox community as well. Except the Satmar who are kind of "against Zionism" ( not anti, I named this kind of people the Naturei Karta who can manage to sit down with the Iranian president), the rest ( Belz, Kalev, Visnitz) are "suffering" the Zionism but more or less in total silence.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, the community is getting bigger and bigger over the years and I would not be surprise that in 20 years time, the hassids will be in North Tottenham ( places where the houses are cheaper than in Clapton junction or Stoke Newington). The community will get bigger and bigger !
And reading this 7 and a half years later I am proud to say that your prophecy has been proved correct and the chassidim have spread to South Totenham which has today a jewish majority by far, kein yiribu, and to North Totenham as well although by a lesser extent then the south. They have even spread all the way to Canvey Island which is 50 min away by car due to the lack of any space to expand. Although Satmar is by far the largest sect, there are many others, and it's beautiful to see how they are all living together in harmony. Ufarazta Yama V'keidma...
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