It's just one after another and we are crying out to the government
On a Wednesday morning in Golders Green, north London, two Jewish men were stabbed in what authorities have classified as a terrorist attack — one outside a synagogue, one at a bus stop moments later. The suspect, a 45-year-old man with a history of violence and mental illness, was subdued by police and community volunteers before further harm could be done. The attack did not arrive in a vacuum: it follows a pattern of targeted violence against London's Jewish community, including recent arson attacks on Jewish property, and has renewed urgent calls for the state to more robustly protect a community that increasingly fears for its safety in ordinary life.
- A man moved through Golders Green with a knife, deliberately seeking Jewish victims — stabbing a 34-year-old outside a synagogue and then lunging at a 76-year-old waiting at a bus stop.
- Volunteer security group Shomrim reached the scene before police, their 24-hour patrol network reflecting how accustomed this community has become to guarding its own streets.
- Officers without firearms faced a suspect who refused to disarm and whom they feared might be carrying explosives — a Taser brought him down before the situation could escalate further.
- The attack lands on a community already raw from recent arson fires that destroyed Jewish ambulances, with leaders describing a relentless accumulation of trauma and fear.
- The Home Secretary has pledged heightened police presence and government action, but community voices make clear that promises must now translate into felt safety — for children walking to synagogue, for the elderly at bus stops.
On a Wednesday morning in late April, two Jewish men were stabbed on the streets of Golders Green in north London in what police formally classified as a terrorist attack. The first victim, aged 34, was attacked outside a synagogue on Highfield Avenue. Moments later, a 76-year-old man was targeted as he stood at a bus stop on Golders Green Road. Both were injured but remained in stable condition.
What distinguished the response was who arrived first. Shomrim, a volunteer security group of around 50 members who patrol Jewish neighborhoods across north London, had already dispatched people to the scene after receiving an emergency call. Volunteer Ben Grossnass described watching the attacker — a 45-year-old man — stab the first victim outside the synagogue before moving down the road in search of another. A bystander working at a nearby pizza shop saw the elderly victim bleeding from his neck and brought him inside to help before police arrived.
When officers confronted the suspect, he refused to drop his knife. One officer deployed a Taser to bring him down. Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley later noted that the officers were unarmed and had feared the man might be carrying an explosive device, calling their actions — and those of the Shomrim volunteers — extraordinary.
The attack did not occur in isolation. In the weeks prior, arson fires had destroyed ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a Jewish medical charity. Shomrim spokesperson Ben Grossman captured the community's exhaustion: "We haven't got over yet from the previous incident, and this has happened. It's just one after another."
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood pledged that the government would do everything in its power to keep Jewish citizens safe and committed to an enhanced police presence in affected areas. Yet the fear runs deep — volunteers described children afraid to walk to synagogue or the shops. Alongside that fear, though, was a quiet resolve: "We have to pull together like we normally do, and just try and continue life."
On a Wednesday morning in late April, two Jewish men were stabbed on the streets of north London in what police would formally classify as a terrorist attack. The first victim, a 34-year-old, was attacked outside a synagogue on Highfield Avenue in Golders Green. The second, a 76-year-old man, was targeted moments later as he walked down Golders Green Road. Both men sustained injuries but remained in stable condition.
The Metropolitan Police received reports of the stabbings at 11:16 BST. What made this incident distinctive was not only the speed of the response, but who arrived first. Shomrim, a volunteer security group of roughly 50 members who patrol Jewish neighborhoods across north London, had already dispatched their people to the scene after receiving an emergency call. Ben Grossnass, one of the Shomrim volunteers, described the moment he witnessed the attacker outside the synagogue. The man, he said, began stabbing someone there, then moved down the road in search of another victim. "He went down Golders Green Road looking for his Jew to stab, to put it brutally," Grossnass told the BBC. "We understand he was alone."
Footage that circulated on social media captured part of what unfolded. In one clip, an older man wearing a kippah stood waiting at a bus stop before the attacker lunged at him. Tariq Aziz, who worked at a nearby pizza shop, saw the elderly victim bleeding from his neck and brought him inside, offering tissue and assistance before police arrived. Aziz told reporters that the suspect, a 45-year-old man, was not fleeing the scene but simply walking down the street with a knife in his hand.
When Metropolitan Police officers confronted the suspect, he refused to drop the weapon and continued to pose what they assessed as an active threat. One officer deployed a Taser, bringing the man to the ground. Video showed an officer kicking the suspect in the head as officers worked to disarm him. The man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley later revealed that the suspect had a documented history of serious violence and mental health issues.
Rowley praised both the police officers and the Shomrim volunteers for their actions, calling them "extraordinary." He noted that the officers who confronted the suspect were not armed and feared he might be carrying an explosive device. "Without their bravery I dread to think what the outcome would have been," Rowley told reporters. Shomrim, established in 2008, operates with volunteers on call 24 hours a day, working with police and community agencies to prevent crime and increase safety in areas with large Jewish populations.
The attack did not occur in isolation. In the weeks leading up to the stabbing, the Jewish community in London had endured a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish property. A few weeks earlier, ambulances operated by Hatzola, a Jewish medical charity, had been destroyed in fires. Ben Grossman, speaking for Shomrim, expressed the cumulative toll on the community. "We haven't got over yet from the previous incident, and this has happened," he said. "It's just one after another and we are just crying out to the government to listen to us, feel the pain of the community."
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded to the attack by pledging that the government would "strain every sinew" to keep the Jewish community safe. She said she would not tolerate a situation where Jewish citizens had to restrict their lives out of fear, and committed to maintaining an enhanced police presence in affected areas. Steven Bak, another Shomrim volunteer, acknowledged the fear rippling through the community. "Our kids are in shock and fear and having a hard time at the moment, just going up, walking, going to the shops, going to synagogue," he said. Yet he also voiced a determination to persist. "We have to pull together like we normally do, and just try and continue life."
Notable Quotes
He went down Golders Green Road looking for his Jew to stab, to put it brutally. We understand he was alone.— Ben Grossnass, Shomrim volunteer
It's just one after another and we are just crying out to the government to listen to us, feel the pain of the community.— Ben Grossman, Shomrim
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that Shomrim got there first, before the police?
Because they're civilians. They're neighbors. When they arrived and helped apprehend the suspect, they were putting themselves between a violent man and their community without any of the training or protection officers have. It signals something about how exposed the community feels—they've had to organize their own eyes and hands.
The commissioner praised the officers for their bravery, but there's that footage of an officer kicking the suspect in the head. How do you square that?
You don't, really. Both things are true. The officers were in genuine danger, acting under extreme pressure, and they also used force that looks brutal on video. That's the tension the story holds. The community is grateful they stopped the attack, but they're also watching how it was stopped.
What does "looking for his Jew to stab" tell us about how the volunteer understood the attack?
It strips away any ambiguity. Grossnass wasn't describing a random act of violence. He was describing someone hunting. That language—brutal as it is—is how the community experiences these incidents. Not as isolated crimes, but as targeted violence.
Why bring in the pizza shop worker's perspective?
Because it humanizes the moment after violence. Tariq Aziz isn't Jewish, but he saw a bleeding man and helped him. It's a small gesture, but in a story about targeted violence and fear, it matters. It shows the community isn't alone, even if they feel that way.
The government promised resources and presence. Do you think that's enough?
The community's own words answer that. Grossman said words aren't good enough anymore. They want action, sustained action, not just statements after attacks. The promise is a start, but the real test is whether it actually changes what happens next week, next month.