Belmont synagogue was delighted to host a community wide event on the threat from extremism. Guests from Harrow Council included Cllr Graham Henson and Cllr Marilyn Ashton along with Community Cohesion Officer Samia Malik, were joined by representatives from the Harrow Interfaith Group and members of Belmont Synagogue to hear from anti-racist organisation, Hope not Hate. Those present highlighted the strong relations between local communities in Harrow on the one hand, and the threats of rising street violence and the spread of all manner of hatred through social media. Speakers Jemma Levene and Joe Mulhall talked about how quick and easy it is to spread negative messages from the privacy of one's bedroom. They explained the risk of young children and teens in particular going from what seems an innocent web site to darker and deeper material very quickly. They highlighted their advice that parents and grandparents can check what their children are viewing. Members of Belmont welcomed some ideas from Hope not Hate for working closely with local faith groups to get to know each other better and strengthen community bonds.

by Sharon Laifer, Administrator, Belmont Synagogue