Rabbi Rafi Goodwin: “There are a lot more good people out there than bad people”

Rabbi Rafi Goodwin, the victim of an attack outside his synagogue in Chigwell, has described how the local community rallied round to support him in the aftermath.

Rabbi Goodwin, 32, was assauled outside the Chigwell & Hainault United Synagogue in Limes Avenue where he has worked for the past five and a half years.

Police and an ambulance were called with the rabbi requiring hospital treatment.

Rabbi Goodwin said: “It was bad timing – wrong time, wrong place. Thank God, people stopped and helped me. The police were here straight away.”

Arrests were made the following day.

Rabbi Goodwin said Chigwell is “very friendly” with a sizable Jewish population of more than 900 families. After the attack, he was heartened by the level of support from local people.

“The whole Limes Estate community was excellent, sending flowers and cards to the synagogue. People were stopping me for months afterwards asking, ‘Are you the rabbi who was attacked, or do you know the rabbi who was attacked?’ I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Members of the Rabbi’s shul were understandably concerned but he insisted that one incident shouldn’t change their behaviour.

He said: “I made a point of coming back to synagogue two days later and said thank you for the support and keep going. We’re not going to let it change how we do things.”

Rabbi Goodwin said the police and ambulance crew who dealt with him and his family were “excellent” and that he was offered a range of support services by the police and the Community Safety Trust.

He said the sessions he’s had with a trauma therapist had been beneficial and he encouraged anyone who’s been through a similar experience to take up offers of help as “there’s no point in having a stiff upper lip as issues can fester”.

Despite the shock of the attack, Rabbi Goodwin has tried to maintain a positive outlook.

“You’ve just got to keep on living,” he added. “There are a lot more good people out there than bad people.”

The case is expected to go to trial shortly.

Superintendent Richard Melton is Essex Police’s hate crime lead. He said any crime which is perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a personal characteristic such as disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity will not be tolerated.

“Hate crime is a priority for Essex Police.  We work shoulder to shoulder with our other Essex partners to take a hard line against hatred committed anywhere across the county.”

Essex Police has three full-time hate crime officers and Supt Melton wants to encourage all victims to report incidents to the police.

Supt Melton added: “We want people to come forward and let us deal with the people that are perpetrating crimes against them. It’s wrong and needs to be challenged.”