Over one third of Jews living in small UK towns have had to withdraw from normal activities since October 7

In total, 81 people responded to the latest survey which, while not a very large number in itself, is significant because many respondents are one of the few or only Jewish person or family in their town.

[Missing Credit]A map of small Jewish communities in the UK (Photo: JSCN)

The survey also compiled and summarised the challenges people report facing in the last year. Some reported feeling of having to be more “careful about who you talk to and about what”, increased discrimination or lack of support at the workplace, not feeling free to discuss the war at work, events and social

One said he would no longer walk near his shul in the dark, while another admitted to removing all Jewish emblems, such as the Star of David, from his car.

Of the nearly 40 per cent who claimed to have withdrawn from some of their normal activities since October, some said they chose not to frequent shopping streets because of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, decided against attending Pride because of organisers’ affiliations with explicitly anti-Zionist groups, and no longer speak openly about their Judaism at work.

One said he was “reluctant” to travel into London, where he works. “I still go, but I take care not to look Jewish.”

Sixteen out of 81, about 20 per cent, reported witnessing some form of verbal abuse since October 7, and 39 people, just under half, said their wellbeing has been affected by what they had seen in the press or on social media.

[Missing Credit]Results of the JSCN survey (Photo: JSCN)

Ed Horwich, Chief Executive of JSCN, said: “The huge drop in how safe people feel as Jews locally, is shocking. Prior to Oct 7, they reported feeling very safe, now its more like 50/50.

“The fact that 38 per cent of people tell us they have withdrawn from some of their usual activities says to me that it’s not just those prone to worry who are being affected; it’s much bigger than that and is very concerning.”

Horwich said that in the early days following October 7, people spoke to JSCN about “a complete breakdown in interfaith dialogue” in their towns and communities, but that is beginning to now revert back to pre-October levels.

“There’s a long way to go to get back to the pre-October 7 world,” he said, “in the meantime, we hope those in positions of responsibility and authority take Jewish concerns very seriously. Let’s hope we are on a path to righting the wrongs of the avalanche of discrimination, hate and lack of concern that our community has been faced with.”

[Missing Credit]Some of the results of the JSCN survey (Photo: JSCN)

The JC spoke with two people living in towns with no established Jewish communities or synagogues.

One lady, living in the market town of Leek in Staffordshire, said she has not witnessed much of a change since October: “There are no Palestinian flags or demonstrations here. If anything, people have been very kind and considerate in the months following October, and I had people ask me how I was coping.”

Leek, she said, is a “very traditionally English” town where she and one other Jewish friend in the town feel supported, but she wouldn’t “dare” go near London or Manchester.

Another woman, in rural western Wales, said she has felt “less safe and certainly unnerved” since October. “Many non-Jewish people don’t understand this sense of insecurity that we Jews feel, so I’ve stopped trying to explain how it feels,” she said. “The fallout from the 2014 Gaza war was my eye-opening moment, where I saw that non-Jewish friends and colleagues couldn’t grasp the concept that we’re (Jewish people) all connected. This war, though thousands of miles away, has real consequences for us.”

Some local people in her town, particularly Christian groups and the dean of the local cathedral, have reached out to offer their support to her.

She, too, has avoided travelling into the largest local city, Cardiff, because of the number of anti-Israel demonstrations present. “I cannot deal with that,” she said, “it makes me frightened and angry.”

The JSCN survey also summarised examples of people feeling supported in their local town. One local bishop came to tea to speak with representatives of three different synagogues where he “listened to our concerns and was very sympathetic”, while a church elsewhere displayed a pro-Israel sign outside it after October 7.

Local non-Jewish people have sent cards and flowers and emailed their support to Jewish fellow town residents, even wearing supportive T-shirts and ribbons and attending shul services.

The Jewish Small Communities Network (JSCN) serves 100 different Jewish communities spread across 72 towns.