Monday, September 09, 2024
London launches bus line to reassure Orthodox Jews
Excited children ran to check the bus schedule. "It'll be here in 23 minutes," they told their mother in Yiddish. The family, part of the Hasidic Jewish community, eagerly awaited the new 310 bus. On September 1, Transport for London (TfL) introduced this line, fulfilling years of requests for a direct route between Stamford Hill and Golders Green.
Golders Green, along with Finchley and Hampstead, is home to a well-established, affluent Jewish community. In contrast, Stamford Hill, located in Hackney, is a poorer area known for its large Orthodox Hasidic population.
The 310 bus is not exclusive to the Jewish community, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan acknowledged that the line was created with them in mind. The mayor, of Pakistani Muslim origin, shared that he was deeply impacted by conversations with Jewish families who expressed fear over the surge in antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacks reignited tensions.
Antisemitic crimes in London skyrocketed following the October 7 massacres carried out by Hamas. Between October and December 2023, Scotland Yard reported 1,156 incidents, a staggering 1,000% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Though the number has since slowed, 998 incidents were recorded between January and August 2024, compared to 424 during the same months in 2023.
Further reading: Rabbis urge European leaders to halt new wave of antisemitism
Mayor Khan noted that some Jewish families shared their fear of verbal abuse while transferring between buses at Finsbury Park, an area with a large Muslim population. Finsbury Park, once associated with radical Islamist preaching, has since undergone significant reform, with authorities praising its efforts to engage with other local communities.
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