List of British Jews

The first Jews arrived in Britain with the Romans but it wasn't until the arrival of William the Conqueror in 1066 that organized Jewish communities first appeared. These existed until 1290 when the Jewish population was expelled by Edward I. (Hence plays such as The Jew of Malta and The Merchant of Venice were written when England was essentially devoid of Jews.) Jews were readmitted in 1656 by Oliver Cromwell, and emancipation took place in 1858. In the late 19th century there was mass Jewish immigration from anti-semitic Russia, and the 1930s saw an influx of refugees from Nazism. The Jewish population peaked at 450,000, but has since declined due to low birth rate, intermarriage and emigration. The current population according to the 2001 Census is around 240,000 (though many experts consider this an underestimate), most of whom live in London. The following is a list of some prominent British Jews.

Miscellaneous

• Arthur Louis Aaron, WWII RAF Victoria Cross recipient
• Frank Alexander de Pass, WWI British Indian Army Victoria Cross recipient
• Dame Vivien Duffield, philanthropist
• Harry Errington, WWII Auxiliary Fire Service George Cross recipient.
• Robert Gee, WWI British Army Victoria Cross recipient
• Thomas William Gould. WWII Royal Navy Victoria Cross recipient
• John Patrick Kenneally, WWII British Army Victoria Cross recipient (Jewish father)
• Simon Latutin, WWII British Army (seconded to Somalia Gendarmerie) George Cross recipient
• Raymmond Mayhew Lewin, WWII Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve George Cross recipient
• Harold Reginald Newgass, WWII Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve George Cross recipient
• Issy Smith, WWI British Army Victoria Cross recipient
• Jack White, WWI British Army Victoria Cross recipient