Jewish supermodel Caprice Bourret revealed she took down her mezuzah (A Jewish door fixture containing a parchment scroll with the shema), fearing that being openly Jewish could endanger her children, she told the MailOnline.
The London-based model is originally from California but moved as her career took off.
London has been one of many European capitals to experience surging antisemitism since Hamas’s October 7 massacre. Over 4,000 incidents were recorded in the UK by the Community Security Trust in 2023 alone.
Impact of rising antisemitism
Bourret said she was “Afraid of the safety” for her children and said she “doesn’t recognize this country anymore.”
“It’s such a terrible time to be Jewish because of the hate we can and do receive,” she said. "I don’t recognize this country anymore. Nobody should feel afraid or intimidated because of their religion. The whole concept is bizarre to me, but it’s happening right now."
Bourret said the rise in hate “has made me closer to Judaism…and weirdly enough, with all of this backlash and propaganda against us, it’s made the community a lot closer. It’s really scary, more than anything. My kids are scared and I have to protect them.”