UK
Rabbi who found ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti on matzah box says he will order more than ever this year
The Chabad branch in south London has been receiving boxes of matzah and distributing them to 250 families for five years
April 9, 2025 17:12
The Chabad branch in south London has been receiving boxes of matzah and distributing them to 250 families for five years
April 9, 2025 17:12A London Chabad rabbi who received a box of matzah with anti-Israel graffiti on it says he is going to order more than ever this year in defiance of the message.
On Sunday, Rabbi Ephraim Carlebach of the Chabad of Greenwich & Docklands was clearing up for Pesach when he discovered the words “Free Palestine” and “Gaza” scrawled on the packaging of the matzah boxes.
The package was part of a distribution campaign led by the European Jewish Association in partnership with the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE) and the Bassad organisation, through which 120,000 packages of matzah are sent to more than 600 Jewish communities across Europe.
The Chabad of Greenwich & Docklands has been receiving such packages for the last five years and, until this year, had never run into any issues. The operation requires a “tremendous” number of volunteers to distribute matzah boxes all over Greenwich, Docklands and Canary Wharf, with about 250 families benefitting, the rabbi said.
“That arrangement has always gone on very well; it is still going well,” Carlebach told the JC. “But in this particular situation, when I found this box with the graffiti, my first reaction was that it was a little bit of a dampener on the general festive spirit.
“But I quickly realised that one of the messages of Pesach is that as much as they try to harm us, we will multiply and grow and become stronger. The way to respond to these things, as Chabad-Lubavitch teaches, is to combat darkness with more light. So, we will. We will shine more light and buy more matzah than planned this year. That is the plan.”
Carlebach contacted Bassad, which is responsible for the distribution of the matzah, and which then followed it up with the RCE. The RCE has begun an investigation into the incident.
“It was a shame,” Carlebach said, “but everyone in our wonderful society and country should be able to live freely and feel welcome in all aspects. So we will focus on that, and get ready to enjoy Pesach.”
In a statement EJA, the body that subsidises the matzah, said the “incident reported in England is troubling”.
EJA Chairman Menachem Margolin said: “While we understand that political views vary, using a religious delivery to convey such a message – particularly during a significant holiday – is inappropriate and unsettling for the receiving community. We encourage respectful dialogue and coexistence, and we hope that this remains an isolated event. Our focus remains on uplifting and supportive Jewish communities across Europe, especially during times of growing sensitivity.”