Being Jewish in Scotland

Jewish people have lived in Scotland since the 1700s, and a few individuals are known even earlier, but the first formal Jewish Community dates from 1816/17 in Edinburgh. Numbers remained small until the late 1800s, and it grew to around 20,000 during the 1930s and 1940s, with the last phase of immigration driven by the flight from the Nazis before and during World War Two. Then, as now, there are Jewish people living in every area of the country. Today the Community remains vibrant but has shrunk to between 6,000 and 8000, with many people identifying as ethnically rather than religiously Jewish. This video tells their story through a series of intimate, contemporary portraits. © Red Sky Productions; first shown on BBC Scotland (January 2023) The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) https://www.scojec.org/​ is the representative body of all the Jewish communities in Scotland. The Council advances public understanding about the Jewish religion, culture, and community by providing information and assistance to government, educational, health, and welfare organisations. It also provides a support network for the smaller communities, and individuals and families who live outwith any Jewish community, and promotes dialogue and understanding between the Jewish community and other communities in Scotland. (SCIO no. SC029438)