By Neve Brissenden and Dominic Giannini 

An early morning attack on the former home of a prominent Jewish community leader has left the community reeling, marking the latest escalation in a series of anti-Semitic incidents.

Residents in Dover Heights in Sydney’s eastern suburbs woke to flaming cars defaced with anti-Jewish slurs and the splashing of red paint on the house in the early hours of Friday.

While the current residents are not Jewish, the home was previously owned by outspoken Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin.

NSW Premier Chris Minns spoke to Mr Ryvchin on Friday morning to express his sympathy.

“I was struck by how resilient and strong and absolutely fortified in his commitment to the cause that he has been associated with (he is),” Mr Minns said.

“It is a true insight into his character that he is not taking a backwards step under any circumstances and he will not be cowed.”

Police were investigating whether the attack was targeted at Mr Ryvchin, but the premier said it would be a massive coincidence if it was not.

“As a society, we have to stand together to condemn (the attacks) unambiguously and send a clear message to these animals that these actions will not be tolerated,” he said.

The latest incident follows an arson and graffiti attack on a synagogue in the inner-Sydney suburb of Newtown on Saturday, and the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue in December.

However, the apparent attack on Mr Ryvchin’s former home marks the first time a Jewish community leader has been personally singled out amid simmering tensions over the war in Gaza.

There were no reports of injuries in the attack, police said.

Dover Heights has the largest proportion of Jewish residents in NSW, with 48 per cent identifying as Jewish in the 2021 census.

One local resident, Laura Taitz, said her community was waking up every morning with “their heart in their mouth” as they waited to learn about the latest incidents that had unfolded overnight.

“It’s becoming untenable – it’s relentless, we feel exhausted,” she said.

Another resident, Shannon Lancour, said the incident was scary and she was “absolutely heartbroken” to learn it was another anti-Semitic attack.

“(We’re) just hoping that this hate can go away,” she said.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said he was “profoundly disturbed and sickened to wake up to news of yet another anti-Semitic attack”.

“The hate-filled criminals who are perpetrating these crimes need to know that their campaign of domestic terrorism will not succeed, the Jewish community is resilient, strong and unbowed and will continue to be so,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also branded the perpetrators terrorists.

But Mr Minns stopped short of branding the attack terrorism, opting to wait for police to make the call.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said a terrorism designation was not currently under consideration, but if investigators needed additional powers that could change.

There are 20 detectives involved in a strike force investigating the Dover Heights attack and other recent anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney.

Zionist Federation of Australia chief executive Alon Cassuto said the attack “isn’t just an assault on Jews, it’s an attack on all Australians”.

“A ceasefire on the other side of the world won’t stop this, our governments must act decisively at home to ensure Jewish Australians are safe.”

But Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish, said he was hopeful the scheduled ceasefire in Gaza could reduce community tensions in Australia.

Where is religious leadership when the going gets tough?