Jews in Northern Ireland

Now.. 

There are about 20 million Jews across the world.

Northern Ireland has a very small Jewish population of around 100 people.



It is centred in Belfast.



The Jewish synagogue is in North Belfast, on the Somerton road. It was built in 1964

In the past.. 

The Jewish community has been much larger in the past and has played an important role in Northern Ireland. At one time there were over 2,000 Jews living in Northern Ireland with synagogues in Derry and Lurgan too. The first Jewish synagogue was founded in 1869.  Many Jews had come to Northern Ireland to help in the Linen industry which was booming in the 1860's. The outbreak of the Troubles sadly led to many Jews leaving for the Republic of Ireland, England, Israel and the USA.

We can see their influence in and around Belfast. 

• The JAFFE fountain in Victoria Square was originally presented to Belfast as a symbol of the enormous contribution Jews had made to the economic, political, artistic and educational life of the city. It was presented by Sir Otto Jaffe, a Belfast Jew who was twice elected to be Lord Mayor of Belfast (first in 1899) His statue is also in the grounds of the City Hall.

• Gustav Wolff, one of the Co Owners of the largest shipyard in the world at the time, Harland and Wolff. He was a German Jew who had converted to Protestantism. The company employed thousands of people and helped make Belfast prosperous

• There is a Jewish section of Belfast City Cemetery 

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• The sixth PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL, Chaim Herzog, was born in Belfast in 1918

Opening of the Somerton Road Synagogue 1965

Jaffe Fountain, Victoria Centre A gift to Belfast from its Jewish Lord Mayor

"Sir Otto Jaffe and Lady Jaffe portraits" by Denlander (talk) - I (Denlander (talk)) created this work entirely by myself.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia -

LESSON 1 POWERPOINT

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