British Jews - History

History

The first recorded Jewish community in Britain was brought to England in 1070 by King William the Conqueror, who believed that their commercial skills and incoming capital would make England more prosperous. This community was expelled in 1290 by King Edward I, and emigrated to countries such as Poland which protected them by law. A small community persisted in hiding despite the expulsion. Jews were not banned from Scotland though in this period as Scotland was an independent nation with different laws than England. In 1656 Oliver Cromwell made it clear that the ban on Jewish settlement would no longer be enforced. At the insistence of Irish leader Daniel O'Connell, in 1846, the British law "De Judaismo", which prescribed a special dress for Jews, was repealed. In 2006, the Jewish community celebrated the 350th anniversary of the resettlement in England. Benjamin Disraeli, a British Prime Minister, was of Jewish origin, however he was baptized an Anglican (lived 21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881); he was also a parliamentarian, conservative politician and literary figure. He served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister.