Why We Must Stand United With Our Jewish Community and Remember the Havering Rabbi Who United Us All.

The Met Police is stepping up patrols around synagogues and Jewish community spaces following Saturday’s horrendous attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. The attack, which took place during a community event attended by families and children, has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities across the world and prompted increased security measures here in London.

In Havering, the news has been met with sadness and reflection. The borough is home to a strong, close knit and supportive Jewish community that has long been an integral part of local life.

Two years ago, Havering lost one of its most respected and much loved figures, Rabbi Lee Sunderland. Rabbi Lee was not only cherished by the Jewish community but admired across the entire borough. He was a man who brought people together, never dividing communities but uniting them regardless of faith, colour or creed. His synagogue doors were always open and his message was always one of understanding, kindness and mutual respect.

Rabbi Lee worked tirelessly to build bridges between communities. He welcomed everyone and was instrumental in ensuring the Menorah was placed near Romford Town Hall during Hanukkah, an act that symbolised unity and inclusion and faced no objections from the wider community. It was a reflection of the respect he had earned and the harmony he helped create in Havering.

When the Havering Daily first interviewed Rabbi Lee, he was asked about the challenges faced by the Jewish community in London amid rising acts of hate. His response was characteristically humble. He said that here in Havering, people worked together as a community, that hatred was not the answer, and that dialogue and cooperation mattered. Those words continue to resonate today.

The Jewish community in Havering continues to work hand in hand with others across the borough, offering support, opening doors and welcoming people with warmth and generosity. That spirit is very much part of Rabbi Lee’s legacy.

At a time when Jewish communities across London are feeling increasingly unsafe, Havering remains a place where peace and unity still prevail. That did not happen by chance. It exists because of people like Rabbi Lee Sunderland, who believed deeply in togetherness and lived those values every day.

Rabbi Lee stood hand in hand with all of us, regardless of our faith, background or beliefs. He was a deeply caring and compassionate man who led with kindness, humility and an open heart. He listened, he welcomed, and he made people feel safe and valued simply by being himself. Rabbi Lee believed in unity at a time when division so often dominates, and he showed through his actions that harmony is possible when communities respect and support one another. His warmth, generosity and unwavering commitment to bringing people together left a lasting mark on Havering and on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Let us always remember his legacy and what this remarkable man stood for. Rabbi Lee, you are profoundly missed and will never be forgotten.

Let us stand hand in hand with our Jewish community against such horrendous acts of hate and stand against all forms of antisemitism. It has no place anywhere in our society.

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