England and the Jews: From Medieval Expulsion to 17th-Century Restoration

After the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290, no Jew set foot in the country for 350 years. Unlike other European expulsions that were often ignored in later generations — such as in Prague, where Jews returned after the 1542 expulsion and around a thousand “unregistered” Jews lived quietly, the natural isolation of England and its strictly controlled sea ports made the expulsion remarkably airtight.

The English population essentially never saw Jews and did not know what Jews looked like. In contrast, the Dutch welcomed Jewish exiles from Spain, who boosted Holland’s economy as highly skilled maritime traders — eventually rivaling Spain, which declined after the expulsion. But the English were not enthusiastic about merchants, fearing disguised Dutch infiltration. They neither sought Jewish talent nor understood Jewish culture.

The Rise of Hebraism: England Discovers the Hebrew Bible

In the 16th century, Protestant Christianity spread into England. Protestants encouraged individuals to read the Bible on their own, without the mediation of the Church. King Henry VIII embraced this idea with enthusiasm and in 1540 founded two Hebrew professorships, enabling students to study Hebrew and read the Bible directly.

Young English scholars were captivated by the idea of reading the language in which, according to tradition, the world was created. They were exposed to Kabbalistic ideas about the significance of Hebrew letters and read Jewish philosophical works. This era became known as “The Age of Hebraism.”

Strange Religious Movements and Rising Biblical Curiosity

In 1618, the English clergyman John Traske became so inspired by the story of the Exodus in the Book of Exodus that he declared Easter inaccurate and insisted Christians must eat matzah in the month of Nisan, as written in the Torah. He was brought before a court and forced to recant, but the episode caused a sensation across England.

A Mysterious Claim From the New World

In 1644, Antonio de Montesinos arrived in Amsterdam from the New World (America). He claimed he had discovered a Hebrew-speaking Jewish tribe in Bolivia — one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Jews throughout Europe saw this as a sign of the approaching Messianic era and believed Jews around the world needed to awaken spiritually.

Rabbi Menashe ben Israel, one of Amsterdam’s greatest rabbis, met with Montesinos. Inspired by the possibility of scattered Jewish communities, he began seeking Jews in remote locations — and discovered that a hidden Jewish community existed in England.

A Secret Jewish Community in London

In East London, Rabbi Menashe learned of a group of Sephardic Jews living as crypto-Jews. They did not observe Judaism strictly, since England had no Inquisition, but their Jewish identity was unknown to the authorities.

Motivated by what he believed to be signs of imminent redemption, Rabbi Menashe sought to encourage all nations — especially England, to support the Jews. He wrote a book titled “Mikveh Israel,” essentially a formal petition to the English Parliament, with whom he maintained trade relations.

In this book he described the supposedly rediscovered Jewish tribe in Bolivia, noted the hidden Jewish community in London, and urged Parliament to formally restore Jewish settlement in England. He argued that this would bring both spiritual and material blessing to the English nation.

England Responds: Openness Instead of Antisemitism

England at the time had little antisemitism, largely for two reasons:

1. The revival of Hebrew studies and direct engagement with the Bible,

2. The fact that no Jews lived there — meaning they were not viewed through stereotypes or hostility.

Rabbi Menashe's words were therefore well-received. He was invited by Oliver Cromwell, the all-powerful ruler of England.

On September 22, 1655 — the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Menashe was received with honor in Cromwell’s palace. He participated in parliamentary discussions about the Jews, and a special commission, the Whitehall Conference, was established to examine the issue.

The legal experts determined that no English law prohibited Jews from living in England, since the expulsion had been a royal decree, not an act of Parliament.

The Reestablishment of Jewish Life in England

Gradually, Jews returned to England and very quickly integrated into economic and high society life:

• Within a year, Jews received official permission to work as brokers on the commodities exchange. They soon made up about 10% of England’s brokers.

• Later, Solomon de Medina, a Spanish-born Jew, was granted knighthood — the first Jew in England to receive such an honor.

• Two communities developed in London: Sephardi and Ashkenazi, each with their own synagogues and cemeteries.

The English government refused to recognize Jews as a separate legal body, which actually meant there were no discriminatory laws applied to them.

The chief rabbi of the Sephardic community was Rabbi Jacob Sasportas, who would later become a leading opponent of Shabbetai Tzvi, the false messiah.

Jewish Life in England: Stability and Safety

Life for Jews in England was not always simple, but they enjoyed relative stability. Remarkably, during World War II — while Jews across Europe suffered brutal Nazi persecution and mass murder, the Jews of England remained almost entirely unharmed and even welcomed many refugees fleeing the continent.