‘In Gibraltar, coexistence is not a slogan. It is simply life’

In Gibraltar, coexistence is not a slogan. It is simply life. I grew up with Muslim, Hindu and Christian friends. I went to a non-Jewish high school, where diversity was so normal that no one pointed it out. I never once experienced antisemitism. No comments. No glances. Nothing.

Outside of Nefutzot Yehuda Synagogue: (Credit: Ayelet Mamo Shay)[Missing Credit]

Only later, did I realise how rare that is. When I moved to London for university, I assumed stories about campus tensions were exaggerated. After all, in Gibraltar, protests over identity felt like something that happened elsewhere. Then came my first morning at university. It was induction day, and more than 300 students were protesting against Israel. I remember pausing at the entrance, trying to make sense of it – the signs, the chants and a sudden awareness that the ease I had grown up with was not universal.

In Gibraltar, you can walk anywhere in a kippah without attracting attention. In London, outside the very Jewish areas, I carry a quiet realisation I never had before. That contrast made me appreciate, in a deeper way, what Gibraltar gives its Jewish community.

Jewish life on the Rock is unmistakably Sephardic, with roots in Tetouan and Tangiers and generations of tradition. The community is almost entirely religious and Orthodox, something that shapes its rhythm, culture and daily life. You hear it in the melodies of the tefillah, taste it in the food at every Yom Tov table and feel it in the way families remain close and connected.

Inside of Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue: (Credit:Ayelet Mamo Shay)[Missing Credit]

The community is religious and close-knit, with a Jewish nursery, preschool, Hebrew primary school and two Jewish high schools. Many students go on to yeshivah or seminary. In 2004, when Gibraltar marked its tercentenary, the late chief rabbi Lord Sacks called it a “beacon of tolerance” in times of expulsion and inquisition and said it might be the place where Jews had been the most integrated into national life.

As a Gibraltarian Jew, that felt exactly right. Jewish involvement in civic life stretches back generations. Sir Joshua Hassan, Gibraltar’s first chief minister, was Jewish, and many Jewish Gibraltarians have played roles in politics, business and community leadership. The community may be small, but its contribution is part of the territory’s fabric.

Gibraltar’s relationship with Israel is strong, both culturally and economically. The Gibraltar Israel Chamber of Commerce supports Israeli companies which are interested in the Gibraltar and United Kingdom markets, and it runs cultural and social events that deepen ties beyond business alone.

The Rock of Gibraltar (Credit: Eran Shay)[Missing Credit]

Economically, Gibraltar is famously efficient. There is no VAT; no capital gains, inheritance or wealth taxes, and corporate tax is just 15 per cent. Individuals pay income tax, and international companies are taxed only on profits earned in Gibraltar. Projects that might take years in a larger country can often be completed in months. Ministers and senior officials are accessible and the administration is small enough to act quickly. Combined with warm weather and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world – around 0.4 per cent – it is no surprise that many young Jews like me plan on returning after their studies.

From merchants and traders in earlier generations to today’s lawyers, accountants and finance professionals, Jewish Gibraltarians have always adapted. My own parents, Eran and Ayelet Shay, moved from Israel and built a business here, helping others relocate and establish companies. They are truly inspiring with everything they have accomplished here in Gibraltar, which would not have been possible without the help of such an amazing community.

If you plan on visiting, there are two kosher restaurants and four historic synagogues, all easy to find. If you’re planning to visit the famous monkeys – who definitely don’t keep kosher and have no respect for personal space – I would recommend getting the Gibraltar Pass as it gives you discounts on all the main attractions.

Gibraltar monkeys (Credit: Eran Shay)[Missing Credit]

Despite everything changing in the world, Gibraltar remains exactly what it has always been to me. A safe port in stormy times. A place where communities live side by side. A reminder that belonging, safety and respect do not have to be distant ideals. They can be everyday reality if a society chooses to make them so.

​Ohad Shay is the Gibraltar government youth chairman and an entrepreneur currently based in the UK