'It grinds you down' - says Chesterfield Jewish man following antisemitic incidents

The man, who openly talks about his faith and wears traditional Jewish clothing but wanted to remain anoymous, said he was approached in the street by a young man shouting ‘Hitler’.

He said: “I saw the Star of David graffiti at first and I felt a little bit shaken, but it didn't really get to me. The repetitive nature of these incidents, the fact that it's been happening consistently got to me. When it keeps happening, it grinds you down.

“As a visible Jewish person living in the area you start to think, who's doing this? Do they really have a problem with me? What's beneath all this? It's really worrying and I’m concerned. On Tuesday I faced verbal abuse. Someone yelled out ‘Hitler’ towards me. I believe it was a young kid or a teenager. When I turned around to see who it was, they ran away. It was a very cowardly thing to do.”

The man has spotted graffiti appearing in the neighbourhood – first the Star of David, followed by the swastika on a bus stop and other graffiti near Springwell Community College and Ladybower Lane.

Following the incidents, the man, who was concerned for his safety, contacted Derbyshire County Council, Springwell and Derbyshire Police.

He said: “All the organisations I've been involved with have been absolutely brilliant. I have lived here for a long time and nothing like this has ever happened to me and it is quite concerning. But also this is a teachable moment for our community. And hopefully some of us can learn about the consequences of racism and antisemitism in our society. Nationally, antisemitic attacks are on the increase and I think this should be used as a constructive moment to talk about those issues.”

“I would say to those responsible - get to know people, don't just go by stereotypes based on how someone looks. There's a lot of misinformation about Judaism. In reality, it's a beautiful way of life with a lot of traditions and celebrations and big focus on the community. So what I would say is to them is don't be so ignorant of other people's beliefs.”

A spokesperson for Springwell Community College, said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our school community is an absolute priority. We do not tolerate the use of derogatory language and are committed to providing an education for all our students which promotes diversity and inclusivity. In particular, we have a strong religious education, and personal development curriculum covering tolerance and respect for people of all faiths.

“We are unable to comment on this specific case, as there is an ongoing police investigation, but we are working closely with the relevant authorities, other local schools and members of the community.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “Officers are carrying out enquiries following a number of reports of antisemitic graffiti in the Middlecroft area which have taken place during October and November. We take hate crime extremely seriously and are committed to identifying those responsible. If anyone has any information that could help us with our enquiries, please get in touch on the details below, quoting reference 22*671209.”