British Jews (often referred to collectively as British Jewry or Anglo-Jewry ) are British citizens who are Jewish . The number of people who identified as Jews in the United Kingdom rose by just under 4% between 2001 and 2021.
88-836: The Jewish Leadership Council (previously known as the Jewish Community Leadership Council ) is an organisation in the United Kingdom, founded in 2003, whose declared aim is to forward the interests of the organised Jewish community in Britain . The council was founded by its first chairman, then president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews , Henry Grunwald , and a number of other senior UK Jewish leaders. The council acts as an umbrella group for various Jewish community organizations, charities, Zionist and pro-Israel advocacy groups. The JLC represents
176-654: A Jewish plurality. Further afield from London, there is also a significant community in St Albans , as well as other smaller communities throughout the county. There are over 10,300 Jews in Essex , of which 4,380 live in the district of Epping Forest , in the county's southwest. There is also a significant community in Southend . In total, London and the counties around it are host to 70.56% of England and Wales' Jewish population, as of 2021. The next most significant population
264-460: A close working relationship and staffing of these organisations. The JLC created Reshet in response to joint research with UJIA on the informal (out of school) provisions available for young people in the UK Jewish community. Originally starting as a network that brings together the many Jewish youth movements, today Reshet also act as the primary provider of safeguarding expertise and training in
352-588: A former Football Association executive, who held the CEO position from 2013 to 2020. Before this, Jeremy Newmark (former spokesperson for the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks ) held the CEO position from January 2006 until 2013. Under Newmark, the organisation increased its expenditure from £192,000 in 2007 to £2,782,000 in 2013. The JLC brings together the most senior lay leaders of the major institutions in each sector of UK Jewish life. Membership includes
440-434: A further 80,000 between 1938 and 1945. The late 1940s and early 1950s proved to be the high point, numerically speaking, for British Jewry. A decline followed, as many of the new arrivals moved to Israel, moved back to Europe, or emigrated elsewhere, and many other individuals assimilated. The decline continued into the 1990s, but has since reversed. The estimates given before the 2001 Census are likely not directly comparable to
528-842: A history filled with Diaspora , dishes varied heavily and included fish, meat, spaghetti, pudding, or soup. Before the 2015 general election , 69% of British Jews surveyed were planning to vote for the Conservative Party , while 22% would vote for the Labour Party . A May 2016 poll of British Jews showed 77% would vote Conservative, 13.4% Labour, and 7.3% Liberal Democrat. An October 2019 poll of British Jews showed 64% would vote Conservative, 24% Liberal Democrat, and only 6% Labour. Jews are typically seen as predominantly middle-class, though historically many Jews lived in working-class communities of London. According to polling in 2015, politicians' attitudes towards Israel influence
616-573: A lesser extent over the same period, going from 1,844 to 1,889 (+2.4%). Going into the 19th century, the Jewish population was small, likely no more than 20,000 individuals. However, the population quadrupled in just a few decades after 1881 as a large number of Jews fled oppression in the Russian Empire. The population increased by as much as 50% between 1933 and 1945, with the United Kingdom admitting around 70,000 Jews between 1933 and 1938, and
704-655: A meeting of the Board on 21 September 2014. In December 2015, the new leadership of the Board distanced itself from the MCB over the latter's alleged links to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood . In 2018, over five hundred British Jews signed a letter from Yachad saying that the Board had "deeply misrepresented" their views after the board criticised Hamas for "repeated violent attempts at mass invasion" but did not call for Israeli restraint or acknowledge that
792-960: A net gain of Jewish immigrants, to the point Israelis now represent around 6% of the British Jewish community. The majority of the Jews in the UK live in southeastern England, particularly in and around London . Around 145,480 Jews live in London itself - more than half the Jewish population of the entire country - notably the North London boroughs of Barnet (56,620), Hackney (17,430), Camden (10,080), Haringey (9,400), Harrow (7,300), Redbridge (6,410), Westminster (5,630), Brent (3,720), Enfield (3,710), Islington (2,710) and Kensington and Chelsea (2,680). There are also 30,220 Jews living in districts that are not quite London, but are outside
880-501: A resignation on the grounds of ill health. Newmark denied any wrongdoing, though he resigned as Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement two days later. The Charity Commission stated it had not been informed of these allegations of financial impropriety in 2013 which raised serious potential regulatory concerns which it was assessing. In March 2018, a three-member panel, with Charity Commission approval, began investigating
968-406: A team of professional staff including Director of Public Affairs, Daniel Sugarman (formerly a journalist at The Jewish Chronicle ) . Its membership comprises deputies elected by affiliated individual synagogues, confederations of synagogues, and other organisations within the Jewish community such as charities and youth groups. Most Haredi synagogues have chosen not to affiliate, although in 2021
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#17327754788011056-565: A total of 277,653 self-identified Jews in the United Kingdom. This does not include much smaller communities in the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories ; notably, there are Jewish communities in Gibraltar , Jersey and Bermuda , amongst others. However, this final figure is considered an undercount. Demographers David Graham and Stanley Waterman give several reasons as for why: the underenumeration for censuses in general;
1144-523: Is an active synagogue in St Brelade , Jersey , although the Jewish population of the island is only 49. There is only a small number of Jews on the Isle of Man, with no synagogue. The British Jewish population has an older profile than the general population. In England and Wales, the median age of male Jews is 41.2, while the figure for all males is 36.1; Jewish females have a median age of 44.3, while
1232-535: Is heavily over-subscribed and applies strict rules on admissions, which led to a discrimination court case, R (E) v Governing Body of JFS , in 2009. In 2011, another large state-funded school opened in North London named JCoSS , the first cross-denomination Jewish secondary school in the UK. The Union of Jewish Students is an umbrella organisation that represents Jewish students at university. In 2011 there were over 50 Jewish Societies. British Jews generally have high levels of educational achievement. Compared to
1320-772: Is in Greater Manchester, a community of more than 28,000, mostly in Bury (10,730), Salford (10,370), Manchester (2,630), and Trafford (2,410). There are also significant communities in Leeds (6,270), Gateshead (2,910), Brighton (2,460), St Albans (2,240), and Southend (2,060). Some historically sizeable communities like Liverpool , Bournemouth and Birmingham have experienced a steady decline and now number fewer than 2,000 self-identifying Jews each; conversely, there are small but growing communities in places like Bristol , Oxford and Cambridge . The most Jewish county in
1408-598: Is possible individuals did persist there after 1290. A small community of conversos was identified in Bristol in 1609 and banished. In 1656, Oliver Cromwell made it clear that the ban on Jewish settlement in England and Wales would no longer be enforced, but when Rabbi Manasseh Ben Israel brought a petition to allow Jews to return, the majority of the Protectorate Government turned it down. Despite
1496-543: Is thought that the blood libel which accused Jews of ritual murder originated in Northern England, leading to massacres and increasing discrimination. The Jewish presence continued until King Edward I 's Edict of Expulsion in 1290. Jews were readmitted into the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland by Oliver Cromwell in 1655, though it is believed that crypto-Jews lived in England during
1584-652: The Jewish News , Jewish Telegraph , Hamodia , the Jewish Tribune and Jewish Renaissance . In April 2020, The Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish News , which had announced plans to merge in February and later announced plans for a joint liquidation, continued as separate entities after the former was acquired by a consortium. Cookbooks grew in popularity in Britain during the mid-1800s and shaped
1672-635: The Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when the fascists were forced to abandon their march through an area with a large Jewish population when the police clearing the way were unable to remove barricades defended by trade unionists, left wing groups and residents. In the aftermath of the Holocaust , undisguised racial hatred of Jews became unacceptable in British society . Outbursts of antisemitism emanating from far right groups continued, however, leading to
1760-603: The Board of Deputies , is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 1760 by a group of Sephardic Jews , the board presents itself as a forum for the views of most organisations within the British Jewish community, liaising with the British government on that basis. Notably, while Lord Rothschild
1848-562: The Board of Deputies of British Jews formed the Fair Play Campaign Group, a pro-Israel advocacy organization. The Fair Play Campaign co-ordinates activity against anti-Israel boycotts and other anti-Zionist campaigns. In December 2009, the Council sought and published a legal opinion from Lord Pannick advocating a change in UK law to prevent the issuing of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders without prior consent of
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#17327754788011936-528: The Church of England , served in government for three decades, twice as prime minister . The oldest Jewish community in Britain is the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community , which traces back to the 1630s when it existed clandestinely in London before the readmission and was unofficially legitimised in 1656, which is the date counted by the Jewish community as the re-admittance of the Jews to England (which at
2024-522: The London Borough of Harrow said in 2015 that it had the largest membership of any single Orthodox synagogue in Europe. There are a number of Jewish newspapers , magazines and other media published in Britain on a national or regional level. The most well known is The Jewish Chronicle , founded in 1841 and the world's oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper. Other publications include
2112-468: The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia. The statement with its slogan 'to export peace rather than import conflict' proved controversial among some on the conservative wing of the Jewish community but was supported by others on the progressive wing and by groups in inter faith circles. The principle of such a statement was approved by a majority of over 75% at
2200-698: The Scottish Parliament and Executive , other communities, and other statutory and official bodies. The intention when it was established was for it to stand in the same relationship to the Scottish Government as the Board of Deputies of British Jews does to the UK Government. Consequently, the council is autonomous in matters devolved by the Scotland Act , such as justice, health and welfare, and community relations, whilst
2288-567: The Sephardi congregation of Spanish and Portuguese Jews to form a standing committee (Portuguese: deputados ) founded to pay homage to George III on his accession to the throne. The Ashkenazi Jewish congregation then followed suit, establishing a public affairs committee to address urgent political matters and safeguard the interests of British Jews in the British Isles and the colonies. The two bodies began to meet and united in
2376-582: The Standards Board for England , calling on Livingstone to apologise. Livingstone responded by stating "there is no law against 'unnecessary insensitivity' or even 'offensiveness' to journalists harassing you as you try to go home" and that he had a "25-year running battle" with the paper's owners. In 2014, at the height of the Israeli military operation in Gaza , the Board issued a joint statement with
2464-560: The UJIA . He succeeded Gillian Merron , who represented Labour as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1997 to 2010. From 2009 to 2010, she was Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health at the Department of Health . In 2020, she left her position at the Board when she was appointed a life peer , representing the Labour Party in the House of Lords . Michael Wegier leads
2552-624: The United Jewish Israel Appeal in Kentish Town . In January 2019, the Jewish Leadership Council reiterated its call for a "unified communal structure" with the Board of Deputies. A previous merger proposal was rejected in 2015 after deputies felt that they would be relegated to second-rate status. In response to the later call, Marie van der Zyl said that "the representative body that speaks for
2640-643: The 1810s. The joint organization was named the London Committee of Deputies of British Jews. In the mid-19th century, the organisation was headed by Sir Moses Montefiore , the Sephardi lay leader of British Jewry, and Nathan Adler , the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. The current name was adopted in 1913. In the course of its history, some of the major disputes were between Sephardi and Ashkenazi leaders and between religious and lay leaders. The Board became more prominent in British society in
2728-631: The Attorney General. In June 2011, together with BICOM and the Board of Deputies, Council Chair Vivian Wineman, Chair of Trustees Mick Davis and CEO Jeremy Newmark, met Foreign Secretary William Hague to discuss developments in the Middle East. The Jewish Leadership Council has previously been criticised as self-appointed and unaccountable. Deputies have in the past noted that, while Board honorary officers are accountable to deputies, who themselves are accountable to their constituencies,
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2816-642: The Board clashed with the new Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely , and some members of the community over the Board's continued commitment to Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. After Scottish devolution in 1999, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities was formed to give the Jewish Community of Scotland a single democratically accountable voice in dealings with
2904-478: The Board of Deputies speaks for all Britain's Jews on reserved matters such as foreign affairs and equality legislation. The most historically notable and longest-serving past president was the Victorian-era banker Moses Montefiore , who in the 19th century travelled widely to assist Jewish communities in foreign countries, faced by persecution at the time. A complete list of presidents and interim positions
2992-513: The Board received its first Haredi deputy since the 1970s, from a synagogue in Stamford Hill . In 2012, it was noted that nearly two-thirds of the deputies were over 60 years of age. However, in the 21st century, the organisation has seen an influx of younger deputies, including two vice-presidents in their early thirties and Phil Rosenberg, who at the age of 38 was elected to succeed van der Zyl as president from 1 June 2024. It serves as
3080-470: The Census, as the Census is based purely on self-identification, whereas the estimates are based on community membership, and it is probably the decline from 450,000 to 266,740 is more like a decline from 450,000 to somewhere between 300,000 and 350,000 going by the metrics of the estimators. Contemporary Jewish demographers like Sergio DellaPergola give figures around 300,000 for the British Jewish population in
3168-703: The Glasgow suburb of Newton Mearns . Glasgow itself has around 970 Jews. Edinburgh counts 1,270 Jews; the remaining 35% of Scottish Jewry is scattered throughout the country. The largest Welsh community is in Cardiff , with almost 700 Jews, comprising about a third of the Welsh Jewish population and 0.19% of the population of Cardiff itself. The only synagogue in Northern Ireland is in Belfast , where
3256-748: The IDF may have acted disproportionately in killing scores of Palestinians. Liberal Judaism said that "the Board's credibility as the voice of British Jewry depends wholly on its willingness to listen to, hear from and reflect the values of all sections of the community". In July 2018, the Board suspended Roslyn Pine, deputy for Finchley United Synagogue , for six years, following comments she made which were described as Islamophobic , and for admitting to holding anti-Arab views. Writing in The Jewish Chronicle in November 2018 about antisemitism in
3344-598: The Isles. Many German and Polish Jews seeking to escape the Nazi Holocaust arrived in Britain before and after the Second World War . Around 80-90% of British Jews today are Ashkenazi. Following de-colonisation, the late twentieth century saw Yemeni Jews Iraqi Jews and Baghdadi Jews settle in the United Kingdom. A multicultural community, in 2006, British Jews celebrated the 350th anniversary of
3432-608: The JLC CEO Forum and Council Meetings or cross-communal fora such as the HR Forum and a new Fundraising Forum. The JLC sees itself as an integral part of the support network to members. JLC is a central point of expertise member charities and organisations can refer to, helping them to locate resources and find others who can help resolve issues. It also has the ability to co-ordinate members in line with their values and purpose A recent example of this type of work undertaken by
3520-448: The JLC had no such governance structure. In February 2018, The Jewish Chronicle published an internal audit report into the conduct of Jeremy Newmark, while he was CEO of the council between 2006 and 2013, that alleged that he deceived the council out of "tens of thousands of pounds". The Jewish Chronicle claimed the council had covered up the former CEO's alleged behaviour, and accepted
3608-680: The JLC is the establishment of the Jewish Community Refugee Task Force in March 2022 with the Board of Deputies of British Jews to ensure that the Jewish community could provide a co-ordinated, needs-led and effective response to the refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The JLC supports the London Jewish Forum and Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region through
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3696-558: The Jewish community. It has led the central community response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and provided training for communal bodies in safeguarding. PaJeS, now a JLC member, helps plan strategically for the continued provision of sufficient Jewish school places and works to maintain the schools' continued excellence. In December 2006, the Jewish Leadership Council and
3784-420: The Jewish faith. There are around 454 synagogues in the country , and it is estimated that 56.3% of all households across the UK with at least one Jew living within them held synagogue membership in 2016. The percentage of households adhering to specific denominations is as follows: Those in the United Kingdom who consider themselves Jews identify as follows: The Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue in
3872-591: The Jewish population increased from 275,000 to 280,000, attributed largely to the high birth rates of Haredi (or ultra-Orthodox) Jews . Research by the University of Manchester in 2007 showed that 75% of British Jewish births were to the Haredi community. Ultra-Orthodox women have an average of 6.9 children, and secular Jewish women 1.65. In 2015, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research reported that in England
3960-418: The Labour Party , Marie van der Zyl said, "Over the summer, we showed how we could keep this issue of antisemitism on the front pages day after day, week after week, exacting a severe political and reputational cost for continued failure." In 2019, following Jeremy Corbyn 's decision to resign as leader of the Labour Party, the Board asked candidates for the leadership to sign up to ten pledges in order to "end
4048-470: The Protectorate government's rejection of the Rabbi's petition, the community considers 1656 to mark the readmission of the Jews to England and Wales. In mid-nineteenth century British-ruled Ireland, Daniel O'Connell , known as "The Liberator" for his work on Catholic Emancipation , worked successfully for the repeal of the "De Judaismo" law , which prescribed a special yellow badge for Jews. Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), of Jewish birth although he joined
4136-457: The UK is Hertfordshire, which is 2.23% Jewish; this is followed by the City of London , at 2.06%, and then Greater London at 1.63%. Greater Manchester is 1.00% Jewish, Essex is 0.70% and East Sussex is 0.65%. No other county is as much as 0.50% Jewish. The least Jewish county or principal area in England and Wales is Merthyr Tydfil , which is less than 0.01% Jewish despite once having had a significant community. Hertsmere and Barnet councils are
4224-431: The UK. This has resulted in some synagogues establishing French-language Shabbat services . In 2018, 534 Britons emigrated to Israel , representing the third consecutive annual decline. The figure was one third down on 2015 and was the lowest for five years. Meanwhile, immigration of Jews from Israel is consistently higher than emigration of Jews to Israel, at a ratio of about 3:2, meaning the British Jewish community has
4312-412: The United Kingdom. However, the stances of the Board once again had shifted in 1939 with the election as President of Selig Brodetsky , who was described by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as the "foremost Zionist in Great Britain". As of 2024 the Board has continued to hold a Zionist position. The board is led by Phil Rosenberg . The chief executive is Michael Wegier, the former chief executive of
4400-489: The allegations. In February 2019, a police investigation was also opened. The panel later said that it could not quantify any missing funds due to the absence of key documents and records. The police closed their investigation in March 2019. British Jews The first recorded Jewish community in Britain was brought to England in 1070 by King William the Conqueror who believed the Jewish population's commercial skills would make his newly won country more prosperous. At
4488-453: The antisemitism crisis". The pledges included a resolution of outstanding disciplinary cases, lifetime membership bans for some individuals, an independent disciplinary process, full and unconditional adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism , and engagement with the mainstream Jewish community. Most of the candidates for leader or deputy leader signed up unconditionally. In 2020,
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#17327754788014576-404: The borough of Hertsmere in southwestern Hertfordshire adjacent to Jewish areas in Barnet and Harrow . Towns and villages in Hertsmere with large Jewish populations include Borehamwood (6,160), Bushey (5,590), and Radlett (2,980). Some 30% of Radlett's population is Jewish, as is 20% of Bushey's and 17% of Borehamwood's, 21% of neighbouring Shenley 's and 36% of nearby Elstree , which has
4664-578: The boundaries of London itself, of which 21,270 are in southern Hertfordshire and 4,930 are in southwestern Essex, giving a total population of 175,690 Jews in London and the districts and boroughs immediately surrounding it, as compared to 95,640 in the rest of England and Wales combined. In total, including communities some distance from London, just under 46,000 Jews live in the six counties bordering Greater London, of which two-thirds live in areas immediately adjacent to London. There are, in total, more than 26,400 Jews in Hertfordshire , of which 18,350 are in
4752-454: The chairs and presidents of synagogue movements, leaders of the main charities, welfare organisations and representative bodies as well as a group of vice-presidents comprising a number of Jewish VIPs and individual leaders such as Lord Levy , Sir Ronald Cohen , Lord Woolf , Lord Fink , Sir Trevor Chinn , Leo Noe and former board president and politician Lord Janner of Braunstone . The Jewish Leadership Council's member organisations are
4840-408: The community has fewer than 100 active members, although 439 people recorded their religion as Jewish in the Northern Irish census of 2021; despite remarkable growth since the previous census in 2011, this still leaves the Northern Irish community as the smallest of the four Home Nations both in overall numbers and percentage terms. There are small communities throughout the Channel Islands, and there
4928-440: The community must have the legitimacy and accountability that comes from being broad based, democratic and elected." Deputies have in the past noted that, while board honorary officers are accountable to deputies, who themselves are accountable to their constituencies, the Jewish Leadership Council had no such governance structure. However, in March 2020, van de Zyl called in The Jewish Chronicle for "a more permanent unity" between
5016-525: The community regardless of religious, cultural, political affiliations or beliefs. In January 2022, Keith Black, CEO of the Regatta Group, became chair. Before this, the position was held by Jonathan Goldstein from May 2017 until January 2022. From 2009 to 2017 Mick Davis , chairman of the United Jewish Israel Appeal , was in the role. He was the first chairman of the council's executive committee. Claudia Mendoza and Michelle Janes were appointed joint chief executives in 2020. They took over from Simon Johnson,
5104-423: The community's activities, most notably outlawing the practice of usury (charging interest). Fifteen years later when Edward found that many of these provisions were ignored, he expelled the Jews from England . The Jewish population emigrated to countries such as Poland which protected them by law . A small English community persisted in hiding despite the expulsion. Jews were not banned from Scotland , which
5192-443: The country. Jewish cultural studies and Hebrew language instruction are commonly offered at synagogues in the form of supplementary Hebrew schools or Sunday schools. The majority of Jewish schools in Britain are funded by the government. Jewish educational centres are plentiful, large-scale projects. One of the country's most famous Jewish schools is the state-funded JFS in London which opened in 1732 and has about 2100 students. It
5280-470: The early 2010s, since when it has grown. The great majority (83.2%) of Jews in England and Wales were born in the UK. In 2015, about 6% of Jews in England held an Israeli passport. In 2019, the Office for National Statistics estimated that 21,000 people resident in the UK were born in Israel, up from 11,890 in 2001. Of the 21,000, 8,000 had Israeli nationality. In 2013, it was reported that antisemitic attacks in France led to an exodus of French Jews to
5368-499: The early twentieth century due to its support of refugees, notably leading an ultimately failed campaign against the Aliens Act 1905. However, by the 1930s, the Board's position had shifted to a more assimilationist position in order to improve the perception of Jews among the non-Jewish British population, including adopting a position of non-Zionism . In 1933, Neville Laski was elected as the Board's President, and called for Jews to give "overriding consideration of duty and loyalty" to
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#17327754788015456-433: The election. Outside the region, large Jewish constituencies voted for Labour, namely Bury South and Blackley and Broughton . Some MPs, such as Robert Jenrick and Keir Starmer , while not Jewish themselves, are married to Jews and have Jewish children. The earliest Jewish settlement was recorded in 1070, soon after the Norman Conquest . Jews living in England at this time experienced religious discrimination and it
5544-410: The end of the 12th century, a series of blood libels and fatal pogroms were perpetrated in England, particularly on the east coast. Notably, on 16 March 1190, during the run up to the Third Crusade , the Jewish population of York was massacred at the site where Clifford's Tower now stands, and King Edward I of England passed the Statute of the Jewry ( Statutum de Judaismo ) in 1275, restricting
5632-467: The expulsion. Jews were regularly subjected to discrimination and humiliation which waxed and waned over the centuries, gradually declining. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of Jews in Britain greatly increased due to the exodus from Russia , which resulted in a large community forming in the East End of London . Popular sentiment against immigration was used by the British Union of Fascists to incite hatred against Jews, leading to
5720-415: The figure for all females is 38.1. About 24% of the community are over the age of 65 (compared to 16% of the general population of England and Wales). In the 2001 census, Jews were the only group in which the number of persons in the 75-plus cohorts outnumbered those in the 65–74 cohort. About 60% of school-age Jewish children attend Jewish schools. Jewish day schools and yeshivas are found throughout
5808-434: The formation of the 43 Group led by Jewish ex-servicemen which broke up fascist meetings from 1945 to early 1950. Records of antisemitic incidents have been compiled since 1984, although changing reporting practices and levels of reporting make comparison over time difficult. The Community Security Trust (CST) was formed in 1994 to "[protect] British Jews from antisemitism and related threats". It works in conjunction with
5896-432: The general population, they are 40% less likely to have no qualifications, and 80% more likely to have "higher-level" qualifications. With the exception of under-25s, younger Jews tend to be better educated than older ones. However, dozens of the all-day educational establishments in the Haredi community of Stamford Hill , which are accused of neglecting secular skills such as English and maths, claim not to be schools under
5984-474: The general population; 89.2% of these were students. In a 2010 study, average income per working adult was £15.44 an hour. Median income and wealth were significantly higher than other religious groups. In a 2015 study, poverty has risen the fastest per generation than other religious groups. The 2021 census for England and Wales recorded 72.3% of Jews either owning their home with a mortgage (32.5%) or outright (39.8%). 20.9% rent privately or live rent free and
6072-442: The largest Jewish organisations in the UK, including synagogues, care organisations, education charities, regional Representative Councils and the Board of Deputies of British Jews. From supporting the long-term aims of the community through data-led research to connecting members to each other, government and public institutions relevant to their work, the JLC works to build and maintain a thriving UK Jewish community. It works across
6160-464: The major institutions of UK Jewish life. Together, they touch on every aspect of Jewish life, from synagogues to social care organisations, political bodies to youth movements, community centres and charities. The JLC believes that bringing these different perspectives together helps joined-up and coherent thinking about the Jewish community. The JLC's current constituent members are: The JLC connects and co-ordinates member organisations, be this through
6248-430: The meaning of the Department for Education. The annual Limmud festival is a high-profile educational event of the British Jewish community, attracting a wide range of international presenters. The 2001 UK Census showed that 30.5% of economically active Jews were self-employed, compared to a figure of 14.2% for the general population. Jews aged 16–24 were less likely to be economically active than their counterparts in
6336-632: The most Jewish local authorities in England, with Jews composing one in six and seven residents respectively. Finchley and Golders Green is the political constituency with the largest Jewish population in the UK. The Scottish population is concentrated in Greater Glasgow , which counts around 2,500 Jews. Around 30% of the Scottish Jewish population, or around 1,510 people, resides in East Renfrewshire, largely in or around
6424-418: The organisations. The issues which the board states it addresses are: In 2003, the Board, on its website, reproduced an extract from a US State Department report that suggested that the aid organisation Palestinian Relief and Development Fund (Interpal) was helping to fund terrorist organisations. Interpal threatened to sue for libel , whereupon the Board retracted and apologised for its comments. In
6512-405: The orthodox community was growing by nearly 5% per year, while the non-haredi community was decreasing by 0.3% per year. It has been also documented that in terms of births, between 2007 and 2015, the estimated number of Strictly Orthodox births per annum increased by 35%, rising from 1,431 to 1,932. Meanwhile, the estimated number of ‘Mainstream’ (non-Strictly Orthodox) births per annum increased to
6600-407: The overall cuisine that British Jews experienced by teaching and inspiring housewives how to cook. The shaping of Jewish food overtime told the story of their frequent migration throughout Europe. There was a lot of influence from Eastern European and Ashkenazi food. This resulted in the common staples of Anglo-Jewish women to keep bread, bagels, and potatoes consistently in their homes. Since, they had
6688-549: The police and other authorities to protect Jewish schools, Synagogues, and other community institutions. Polling data from the Campaign Against Antisemitism reveals that almost half of British Jews have contemplated leaving the UK since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel due to rising antisemitism. British Jewish communal organisations include: Board of Deputies of British Jews The Board of Deputies of British Jews , commonly referred to as
6776-446: The population of the United Kingdom. The absolute number of Jews has been gradually rising since records began; in the 2011 census , 263,346 people in England and Wales answered "Jewish" to the voluntary question on religion, compared with 259,927 in of 2001. The 2001 Census included a (voluntary) religion question ("What is your religion?") for the first time in its history; 266,740 people listed their religion as "Jewish". However,
6864-562: The principal reference point for government, the media and wider society. All matters tending to impact on the life of Jews in Britain fall within the Board's remit, including an active interfaith programme. It is the British affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, the world-wide umbrella organisation of Jewish communities and is the UK member of the European Jewish Congress. Its offices are co-located with
6952-484: The question did not record secular Jews; the voluntary nature of the question; suspicion by Jews of such questions; and the high non-response rate for large numbers of Haredi Jews. By comparison, the Jewish Virtual Library estimated a Jewish population of 291,000 ( not limited to adherents of Judaism) in 2012, making Britain's Jewish community the fifth largest in the world. This equates to 0.43% of
7040-474: The remaining 6.8% live in social housing . In 2016, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research reported that the intermarriage rate for the Jewish community in the UK was 26%. This was less than half of the US rate of 58% and showed little change from the rate in the early 1980s of 23%, though more than twice the 11% level of the end of the 1960s. Around one third of the children of mixed marriages are brought up in
7128-521: The resettlement in England. According to the 2021 United Kingdom census , there were 271,327 Jews in England and Wales , or 0.5% of the overall population, whilst in the 2021 Northern Irish census, there were 439 self-identified Jews comprising just 0.02% of the population, but marking a 31% increase in numbers since the census of 2011. According to the 2011 census, 5,887 Jews lived in Scotland for
7216-557: The same year the Jewish Leadership Council , which says it "brings together the major British Jewish organisations to work for the good of the British Jewish community", was founded. In 2005, after the Mayor of London , Ken Livingstone , compared a Jewish Evening Standard reporter, Oliver Finegold, to a concentration camp guard, the Board, along with the Commission for Racial Equality , filed an ultimately unsuccessful complaint to
7304-506: The subject of who is a Jew is complex, and the religion question did not record people who may be Jewish through other means, such as ethnically and culturally. Of people who chose Jewish as their religion, 97% put White as their ethnic group. However, a report by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) suggests that, although there was an apparent option to write down "Jewish" for this question, it did not occur to many, because of "skin colour" and nationality bias, and that if "Jewish"
7392-547: The time included Wales). A trickle of Ashkenazi immigration primarily from German countries continued from the late 17th century to the early 19th century. As for the second wave of Ashkenazi immigration, a large wave of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire due to pogroms and the May Laws between 1880 and the imposition of tighter immigration restrictions in 1905 sought their way to
7480-573: The vote of three out of four British Jews. As per a 2023 survey, four out of five British Jews identify as Zionists . In London, most of the top constituencies with the largest Jewish populations voted Conservative in the 2010 general election - these are namely, Finchley and Golders Green , Hendon , Harrow East , Chipping Barnet , Ilford North , and Hertsmere in Hertfordshire. The exceptions were Hackney North and Stoke Newington and Hampstead and Kilburn , which both voted Labour in
7568-734: Was President of the Board of Deputies, the Balfour Declaration was addressed to him and eventually led to the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. It is affiliated to the World Jewish Congress and the European Jewish Congress . The current president is Phil Rosenberg . The Board of Deputies of British Jews was established in London in 1760. Seven deputies were appointed by the elders of
7656-411: Was an explicit option, the results—only 2,594 respondents were Jewish solely by ethnicity—would have been different. The religion question appeared in the 2011 Census , but there was still no explicit option for "Jewish" in the ethnic-group question. The Board of Deputies had encouraged all Jews to indicate they were Jewish, either through the religion question or the ethnicity one. From 2005 to 2008,
7744-509: Was an independent kingdom until 1707; however, there is no record of a Jewish presence in Scotland before the 18th century. Jews were also not banned in Wales at the time, but England eventually annexed Wales under Henry VIII . When Henry VIII's England annexed Wales, the English ban on Jews extended to Wales. There is only one known record of a Jew in Wales between 1290 and the annexation, but it
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