newsAs violence rocks the nation, welcome to the not so Merry Month of May
Letters to editors (like this one in the Daily Mail) express the fear so many Jews feel about their future in the United Kingdom (UK).
Following last week’s horrendous attacks on two Jewish men in Golders Green, North London, young and old Jews are enrolling in classes where they learn to defend themselves and fight back.
A report in ‘The Times’ (May 2, 2026) said over 150 people have signed up to Krav Maga knife defence classes after the stabbings which have alerted the British Jewish community (around 280,000) to the likelihood of further attacks in days to come.
Krav Maga is a defence fighting technique created by the Hungarian-Israeli martial artist, Imi Lichtenfield – a technique of self-defence which has been adopted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Police in Budapest, Hungary, protecting visitors to one of the world’s largest synagogues (Picture : Trevor Grundy).
The paper’s report by Lucy Bannerman explained that the Jewish community centre offering seminars on self-defence normally provides kick-boxing and keep fit classes.
But its organisers said that in response to sudden demand they have launched a series of knife-defence seminars designed to minimise injury in the event of further attacks.
The co-founder of the project, Marco Lawrence, said – ”We’re trying to equip the community to feel confidence and to feel brave again.”
He said that a lot of people on the courses were not your typical martial arts types. “There were a few people in their tallit (prayer shawls) and kippah (skullcap) and the sort of white robes that more religious people wear.”
He said many of the people on the courses were in their fifties and sixties.
The report said that in Golders Green people are talking more and more about self-defence.
And there are calls from some of this country’s leading politicians demanding an end to “hate marches.”
One Jewish man told Bannerman – “If they don’t do that, attacks on Jews will just continue. The next question for us is whether to def end ourselves using weapons.”
Many Jews say they now feel unsafe in Britain. Some are considering leaving and settling in Israel.
Trevor Grundy writes:
This year, it’s hard to welcome in the Merry Month of May.
If we are to believe politicians and journalists, Britain is suffering from an unprecedented bout of anti-Semitism.
Many demand that pro-Palestinian marches are put on hold. Possibly, abandoned forever
Yet, the authorities have given permission for Tommy Robinson and tens of thousands of his supporters to march in one direction through Central London on May 16 while tens of thousands of pro-Palestinians marking Nakba when 700, 000 Palestinians were removed from Israel in 1948 to march in the other on the same day.
May 16 will also see the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Chelse at Wembley Stadium.
Unless things change – and change fast – May 16 might be a good day not to do your shopping in Central London.