British Jews

British Jews (often referred to collectively as British Jewry or Anglo-Jewry) are citizens of the United Kingdom who are Jewish, one of the country's many religious minority communities. Jewish presence in Britain dates to at least the 11th century, when William the Conqueror encouraged Jewish merchants and financiers to migrate from northern France to London. The Jews were expelled from England under Edward I in 1290, but a continuous community was re-established following the readmission of Jews under Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. From the 18th century onwards, British Jews became increasingly integrated into national life, contributing to commerce, science, literature, and politics while maintaining distinctive religious and communal institutions. Some 60,000-70,000 British Jews served in the British Army during the Second World War, serving in all branches and theatres of war. Prominent British Jews have included Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli; financier and activist Moses Montefiore; scientist Rosalind Franklin; playwright Harold Pinter; businessman Michael Marks; and philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin.

Waves of migration from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries transformed Jewish life in Britain, particularly in London’s East End, Manchester, and Leeds, substantially increasing the community's numbers while altering its cultural composition. The community has since diversified, including both long-established Anglo-Jewish families and more recent arrivals from Europe, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth.

According to the 2021 UK census, 277,613 people identified as Jewish, representing about 0.4% of the total population. The majority of British Jews live in and around London, which is home to about two-thirds of the national Jewish population. The largest concentrations are in the boroughs of Barnet, Harrow, and Hackney, and in nearby Hertfordshire suburbs such as Borehamwood, Bushey, and Elstree, which together form one of the largest Jewish urban areas in Europe. The second major centre is Greater Manchester, particularly Salford, Prestwich, and Whitefield, where a rapidly growing Haredi community has developed alongside long-established congregations. Smaller but historic Jewish populations remain in Leeds, Gateshead, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Birmingham.