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LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) – Thousands of British Jews gathered in north London on Tuesday to mark \u200cthe Lag B’Omer festival, a celebratory event in \u200cthe Jewish calendar, after weeks of heightened tension and fear following a \u200bstring of antisemitic attacks.<\/p>\n
At one event in the area, men in ultra-Orthodox Jewish dress packed out a school playground to dance and pray together around bonfires as hundreds of \u200cwomen and children \u2060watched from nearby streets and some crowded onto the balconies of residential buildings.<\/p>\n
The annual festival \u2060is traditionally celebrated as a joyful pause in a solemn period of the Jewish calendar. Bright yellow high-visibility police \u200bvests stood \u200bout in sharp contrast \u200bto the traditional black \u200ccoats and hats of those taking part.<\/p>\n
Tuesday’s festival took place days after two Jewish men were stabbed in the street – the most violent incident this year in a series of attacks that have put the security of Britain’s \u200c290,000 Jews into the spotlight.<\/p>\n
Community \u200bleader Levi Shapiro said the event \u200bwas slightly different \u200bthis year, referring to antisemitic incidents across \u200cthe area.<\/p>\n
“There will be that \u200bextra element of \u200bprayers, a moment of unity and reflection for the Jewish community, and of course, a community that \u200bstays strong together \u200cin the most challenging times,” he said.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by \u200bMarissa Davison and Toby Shepheard, writing by William \u200bJames, Editing by William Maclean)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n