A shul in northwest London was hit by an attempted arson attack in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning.

The Community Security Trust said that the Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow suffered minor smoke damage to an internal room but there were no injuries or significant structural damage.

“We are aware of another attempted arson, this time targeting a synagogue in north London, following similar recent incidents targeting the Jewish community in Finchley, Golders Green and Hendon,” a spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said.

“We want to thank the Met Police and London Fire Brigade for responding quickly and for all they are doing to protect the Jewish community during this unprecedented period.

“We are supporting the affected location and are working closely with the police as they investigate and seek to identify those responsible.”

The building is near a school and a children’s playground, and police were seen searching a nearby black SUV on Sunday morning.

Following reports of the attack, the UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis issued a strong statement, saying that the recent surge in antisemitic attacks cannot be ignored, emphasizing “how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”

“Last night, yet another synagogue, this time in Kenton, was targeted in a cowardly arson attack,” Rabbi Mirvis wrote. “It follows the attack in Finchley on Wednesday and the attempted attack on what was the Jewish Futures building in Hendon on Friday night, making three Jewish sites attacked in London in less than a week.”

“A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum. This sustained attack on our community’s ability to worship and live in safety is an attack on the values that bind us all together. Thank G-d, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”

Saul Taylor, President of the United Synagogue, said: “We are yet again deeply saddened by the arson attacks that have taken place this weekend, including the attack on Kenton United Synagogue, one of our own communities.

“A synagogue is not just a building, it is a place of worship, community and – theoretically – safety. To target it in this way is a deeply disturbing act that strikes at the heart of Jewish life. Thank God no one was hurt and we are grateful to the emergency services and Community Security Trust for their swift response today.

“The Government and local police forces have responded well to the recent appalling attacks, including Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation and Hatzola ambulances, but it is clear that more must be done to prevent these attacks occurring at all. The Prime Minister should declare publicly what the Jewish community has known for some time: this is an epidemic of anti-Jewish hate.

“The Kenton community and the wider United Synagogue will not be deterred. Despite their shul being closed, just this morning, led by Rabbi Yehuda Black, the community held a busy shacharit minyan in a different location. They look forward to being back in their shul home very soon.

“We will not be intimidated, and we will remain strong and united in the face of hatred.”

The latest arson attack follows a spate of security incidents in London’s Jewish community, including an arson attack on an ambulance in Golders Green and a reported drone threat near the Israeli embassy.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism described the situation as “a spate of daily arson attacks on the Jewish community” and warned of escalating risks.

“It betrays a cataclysmic failure of the state – politicians, police chiefs and prosecutors – to tackle antisemitic extremism in this country,” the spokesperson said. “Britain is fundamentally a different country now.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)