The Wanstead resident is accused of setting a fire at the front entrance of the historic building
11:55, 12 May 2026Updated 11:59, 12 May 2026
The religious building, which has lain empty since 2020, was damaged on May 5(Image: Shomrim)
A 45-year-old man has been charged following an alleged arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel. Moses Edwards is accused of setting a fire at the 100-year-old East London Central Synagogue on May 5.
Police and firefighters attended the scene on Nelson Street shortly after 5.15am, where a set of gates and a lock at the front of the historic building had been damaged. No one was injured in the early morning incident.
The Metropolitan Police said an urgent investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing London led to the arrest of Edwards on May 10. The Wanstead resident has since been charged with arson with intent to endanger life.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (May 12). A 52-year-old woman was also detained in connection and has been released on bail to a date in August.
The East London Central Synagogue ceased operating in 2020 and was put up for auction in February. It was advertised with an asking price of £2m and is in the process of being sold to a local Somali Muslim organisation.
The fire followed a number of arsons and attempted arsons targeting Jewish communities in the north west of the capital. The Met launched its “most intensive” set of community operations following the initial burning of Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green in March.
Attempted arson attacks were then carried out at Finchley Reform Synagogue and outside the offices of a Persian media company. On April 27, a memorial wall in Golders Green was targeted in an alleged arson attack, with a man and woman later arrested on suspicion of arson.
Days later, two Jewish men were stabbed on Golders Green Road. Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old man living in Camberwell, has since been charged with two counts of attempted murder.
He was also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident in Great Dover Street in Southwark earlier the same day. The Met said it has deployed thousands of additional officer shifts to “protect Londoners and reassure communities” affected by these incidents.
This includes armed police patrols as well as deployments of officers from Project Servator, who are trained to spot individuals who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.
Got a story for MyLondon? Get in touch via rebecca.mcculloch@reachplc.com
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
Get WhatsApp alerts for the latest news
You can sign up to get the latest news, top stories and exclusives sent straight to your WhatsApp from the MyLondon team.
To get stories sent to you, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘join community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the MyLondon team.
We also treat our subscribers to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’. If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.