Scotland's Jews

[gilmore]

I came across this short e-book, "Scotland's Jews," http://www.scojec.org/resources/file...lands_jews.pdf and thought it might be of interest to some here. It has very little on the subject prior to the 19th Century, and nothing I could find on tartans that Scots Jews wear, but is fairly thorough otherwise.

[turpin]

I have been given to understand that many Jews in Scotland settled in the northeast and tend to wear the Gordon tartan.

[imrichmond]

There is a recently designed, official Jewish tartan. You can read about it here http://www.jewishtartan.com/

[TheOfficialBren]

Wasn't there a respectably-sized Jewish community in Britain before the expulsion in the Middle Ages and repeal of expulsion in 1290 under Edward I? I know that Jews have been in England (yes, I know, the discussion is about Scotland) since the time of William I.
I remember reading something about a repeal of expulsion in te 1700s...just in time for Scotland to stretch it's economic muscles.

Perhaps my history is cloudy there. Please do correct if so.

Good thread!

[ThistleDown]

You might want to refer to the following for Jewish communities and congregations in Scotland. According to this organisation the first record is the late 17C: http://www.jewishgen.org/JCR-UK/scotland.htm and for current information: http://www.scojec.org/

[neloon]

I have been given to understand that many Jews in Scotland settled in the northeast and tend to wear the Gordon tartan.

I have never been conscious of any great Jewish presence in NE Scotland - I would assume that Glasgow would have the main concentration. Of course there are Jewish "Gordons" because many East European/Russian Jews had that component in their original surname.

[cessna152towser]

I would assume that Glasgow would have the main concentration.

There is still a sizeable Jewish community, and synagogues, in Glasgow.

[John_Carrick]

Wasn't there a respectably-sized Jewish community in Britain before the expulsion in the Middle Ages and repeal of expulsion in 1290 under Edward I? I know that Jews have been in England (yes, I know, the discussion is about Scotland) since the time of William I.
I remember reading something about a repeal of expulsion in te 1700s...just in time for Scotland to stretch it's economic muscles.

Perhaps my history is cloudy there. Please do correct if so.

Good thread!

It was in the reign of Cromwell that Jewish people were officially allowed to return to Britain in 1656.
John

[TheOfficialBren]

It was in the reign of Cromwell that Jewish people were officially allowed to return to Britain in 1656.
John

Right! Thank you, John, for the correction. I knew it was quite a long while after their expulsion.

Very true about Gordons. I know a 'Gordon' who was unaware of any Scottish connection with his family name. He is a Jew of Eastern European stock. I was actually shocked when he said that his family was Eastern European since I've always heard the name associated with Scotland.

[MacSpadger]

The Jewish Gordon name has been researched by myself here in Glasgow and discussed in this thread.
Gordon was a Jewish name in use Vilna, Lithuania, and Bialystok, Northern Poland. The Hebrew is גורדון and the Russian is Гордон. The name is associated with Litvak Jews and is well documentated in the areas formerly covered by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
These Jewish Gordons had no connection with the Scottish Gordons, obviously, as the Scottish Gordons were seen as radical Catholics and we are discussing a time where there was not much toleration between religions.