Building Bridges

Inter-community Bonds

Community Bonds

Shomrim’s Impact

INTER-COMMUNITY BONDS

Shomrim of North London is proud to be a leader in reaching out to, and uniting, other faiths and cultures. In recent years, politicians and the general public have become more alert to the dangers of different communities leading separate lives, potentially leading to sectarianism and the decline of social cohesion.

People from the Jewish and Muslim communities feel especially at risk, as their ethnicity and religious affiliation are easily identified by their appearance. There is considerable anxiety about increasing crime in the local community, especially among vulnerable people, the elderly, women and children.

Furthermore, their unique cultures often prevent them from joining with others and appreciating their commonalities.

By serving the entire community, helping hundreds of crime victims from every social group, Shomrim create the foundation that is the basis of a harmonious and peaceful society. With programs such as our No Place for Hate, Challenge and Heal workshops in schools, Shomrim is actively working together as a community for the common good.

Did you know

68% of the people helped by Shomrim last year were from outside the Jewish community

There is no more effective argument against antisemitism than the work we do helping people of all faiths and none every single day.

For many, Shomrim’s assistance is their first personal experience with Orthodox Jews.

We will continue working to increase understanding, respect, and tolerance, ensuring a safer, and more cohesive future for all.

COMMUNITY BONDS

CREATING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EMERGENCY SERVICES & THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Over the years, North London’s Orthodox Jewish communities have had difficulty in protecting themselves from crime, exercising their citizen rights or working with the police, for several reasons, including:

LANGUAGE: Yiddish or Hebrew is a first language for many, making the process of contacting police or making a statement intimidating. Even those fluent in English, are inhibited due to cultural differences, and often fail to reach out when help is needed.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE: Limited understanding and awareness about the Criminal Justice System and citizen rights, prevented community members from reaching out to the correct people in a given situation.
RELIGIOUS LIMITATIONS: Local criminals, aware of religious limitations such as non-use of electricity on Sabbath, often targeted Jewish homes during this time, knowing they would be less likely to contact the police to report or for assistance with an incident (unless life-threatening).

After the murder of Lee Rigby, North
London witnessed an increase in anti-
Muslim incidents and hate crimes.
Shomrim responded by expanding its
patrols to include local mosques and
Islamic centres and provided the local
Islamic community with the benefit of
its expertise in security issues.

See the video

SHOMRIM’S IMPACT

The dramatic improvement made by Shomrim since its founding has been substantial.

From public education campaigns – with practical advice and instructions on reporting crimes and citizen rights, to distributing over 5,000 community safety booklets, to community safety events, Shomrim is continuously strengthening and improving our community’s relationship with the Police and other Emergency Services.

2018 Challenge and heal inter-community programme

15 Partner schools

40 Workshops Presented

500+ Students Reached

10,000 leaflets Distributed

Often, Shomrim volunteers assist crime victims through the entire legal process, helping them to contact the police, give a statement and provide evidence in court. As first responders, we play an instrumental role in preserving evidence that can identify perpetrators and secure convictions. Shomrim volunteers are also often called upon to give evidence in court.

Shomrim is proud to be at the forefront of building positive, constructive relations between the Orthodox Jewish Community and Police Force, as well as other emergency services, creating a safer and more secure environment for everyone.