Zöe Jacobs, the principal clergy at the synagogue, described it as a “proud, progressive and welcoming space for all” and said the community would not be deterred by the attempted firebombing.
She said: “Last night, two men tried to attack our synagogue, and were unsuccessful. This is clearly an attempt to intimidate the British Jewish community – but we will not be deterred by these cowardly acts. Instead, we will continue to prioritise building bridges across the wider Barnet community.”
Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, posted on X and said: “Last night, petrol bombs were thrown at Finchley Reform Synagogue in London.
“Mercifully, the bottles didn’t ignite, and, on this occasion, there was little damage and no injuries, but the evidence of yet more anti-Jewish hatred could not be clearer.
“We are a resilient community and we will never succumb to fear and intimidation.”
‘I’m very scared for the Jewish community’
Franco Di Landro, 56, a gardener who lives by the synagogue, said he had been startled by a loud noise on Tuesday night.
He told The Telegraph: “We heard a bang at about 10.30pm. I thought ‘what’s that?’ It sounded like something heavy fell. I came out to have a look.
“It is terrifying. With what is happening in the world, there is a lot of security [at synagogues]. I’m very scared, my mother is scared, and I’m very scared for the Jewish community.
“Not too long ago, they set fire to MP Mike Freer’s headquarters down the road. He was justifiably scared, and resigned afterwards.”
On Christmas Eve 2023, Mr Freer was called and told that a shed at the rear of his Finchley and Golders Green constituency office had been set on fire, with the resulting blaze causing significant damage to the building. No one was in the office at the time.