School trip to Synagogue?

[hulken]

AIBU to email the school to express concern over a Yr6 trip to a synagogue this week?

The synagogue is in a city with a high Muslim population.

I don't usually contact the school about anything and I don't want to be seen as an annoying over-protective parent but I just don't know whether visiting a synagogue in light of all the current troubles is worth the risk - I am aware the risk is very small but would it be better for the school to postpone the trip?

So am I being unreasonable to ask the school if they have considered postponing the trip?

The trip has been planned for a few months and I have paid for it fully expecting my daughter to take part and I know I could not let my daughter go but if I do that, she will have to go into a yr5 class for the duration of the trip (a morning) which she won't enjoy and I don't want to worry her unnecessarily about anything!

I'm concerned I might have just been watching too much news and I am worrying unnecessarily!

You missed WWII in history lessons I take it?

And British history of the 1300’s when Jews were blamed and persecuted for the Black Death.

I mean sadly lots of groups target Jewish people but the fact of the matter is we have seen mass literally joyous celebrations at the murder of Jewish men, women and children this week in our capital city, its beyond belief. OP is right to feel uneasy and if I was a Jewish person in this country right now I would feel terrified.

I wouldn’t want my child to visit a synagogue at the moment as tensions are too high and a lot of people are very black and white about the situation, which really doesn’t help.

Presumably there are plans for the school to visit a Mosque too at some point?

If I was a British Jew / a Jew living in the UK I would strongly consider leaving.

Me too @PumpkinsAndCoconuts

I don’t disagree with this. It’s terrifying.

I think that’s too dramatic, I go with my baby to baby class every week at the local synagogue and I’m not going to stop. The security there is always amazing and I’m sure it will be even more tight moving forward.

But ‘content online’ does not allow us to make links with real people, to build relationships, to see that others are the same as us.

@PumpkinsAndCoconuts the problem is, where do we go? My family has already been forced out of Poland and Iraq, and I left Sweden after numerous anti-Semitic attacks by "pro-palestinians" there. I'm now in the UK. Where do I go from here? The only way for me and my family to be safe is to deny being Jewish, something I'm not willing to do. I mean, I do it every now and again when I'm being intimated by terrorist-sympathisers just to get away safely, but it's not how I want to live my life on a permanent basis.

I’d check the school has don a risk assessment. And honestly, it’s statistically higher risk for them to walk or drive there given the number of road injuries and deaths every day

It depends, meaningful contact can be made online. It's also not more important than my child's safety.

I get that.
I have talked about it with family members who live in Paris (their family originally from Poland).

And Israel obviously comes with its own set of issues.

The school will absolutely have done a risk assessment BUT it was probably a few weeks ago. They will be updating it this week I would imagine.

Whilst synagogues do, as many have said, always have very robust security, they may themselves not feel comfortable with having external visitors this week - I would trust the school to be in touch with them to ensure everyone is comfortable with the visit.

I think your DD should go. As mentioned, security will be higher than say if you had gone last week.

Of course your DD and her classmates should go. Perfect time. They'll learn lots. Synagogues are used to having to handle security (sadly), and will have upped it. Local police may also be aware.

They are more likely to be injured on the journey to and from the synagogue. Don't be ridiculous.

As a Jew - and more so as a Jew who has been given reason to fear more than usual these past few days - actually I think I’d probably feel at my most safe in a synagogue. Security at every single one I’ve been to has been incredible. I can’t speak for all but you can’t even get into the grounds of ours without clearing it with security ahead of time.

Why is considering her child's safety 'ridiculous' exactly?

I actually think this will be one of the safer weeks to go tbh.

Whilst tensions are high, attention is high. So the police will be clamping down hard on anything nearby, focus will be on it. People generally are conscious of what is going on so will be more vigilant around places that could be targeted.

Sadly Synagogues and Jewish schools are always a target, hence their security, and in a few weeks people, generally not those attending, will have forgotten about the threat to them day-to-day and will be less vigilant despite the fact the threat will be the same.

Whilst your fear is understandable, mainstream Muslims and Jews are just as horrified as us. I've been invited to a joint interfaith vigil to call for the end of violence on both sides, Muslims and Jews side by side saying this must stop now, Ahmad are criminals as far as my Muslim friends are concerned.

Thanks for your replies everyone, well, maybe not the ones labelling me Islamophobic 😂 But I know some people like to find offence in posts like this even where there isn't any.

After thinking it over and considering some of these responses, I have decided I will just let my daughter go as planned. I do trust the school will have done the necessary risk assessments so I won't waste my time or theirs in checking that.

I think I was just having a bit of a wobble because my DP would normally tell me I'm overthinking things but about this, he just said it was up to me if we still let her go so the fact he didn't try to balance my view made me worry more!

To be honest, I hadn't considered the security synagogues must have to always have. Such a shame that it's necessary.

And go where? I have dual UK/French citizenship but the antisemitism problem in France is even worse than here, and I certainly don't want to go to Israel.I do get what you're saying, and I feel very uncomfortable at the moment and terrified by scenes of British groups celebrating the Hamas attack. But I don't feel the need to leave (well not yet). Wouldn't it be better to focus on how UK Jews could be made to feel safer rather than telling us it's probably going to get so bad we'd be better off leaving.

I'm not having a go at you btw, but my heart sinks when I see people saying we'd be better off leaving, however well-intentioned your meaning is.

OP I'm Jewish by ethnicity so not, and never have, practised, so not completely aware of the current security measures being taken in synagogues, but I think it will be pretty safe. Even the most minimal threat will be taken seriously by the synagogue and the police. But I do understand your concern. Agree with @Jewnicorn's post though:

As a Jew - and more so as a Jew who has been given reason to fear more than usual these past few days - actually I think I’d probably feel at my most safe in a synagogue.

It's a bit like the period directly after 9/11 when it was probably the safest time to fly!

Sorry my bad
Must have been Labour MPs then

I understand.

I did have this discussion with relatives from Paris and other friends.
And seeing as they did not want to go to Israel... Well, difficult.

then there is obviously also the issue of migration being often associated with loss of status, income etc.