Become a Member
News

Scottish Jewry: Hiding our identity 'to avoid abuse'

March 22, 2012 16:00

By

Marcus Dysch,

Marcus Dysch

1 min read

Scottish Jews hide their religious identity to avoid abuse and attack, a wide-ranging survey has found.

Israelis living in the country reported that they often pretended to be French or Turkish to "avoid uncomfortable situations".

Being Jewish in Scotland was compiled by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities. The organisation spoke to 240 Scottish Jews across the country to gauge their views on topics including culture, religion, food and education.

Report author, Fiona Frank, said: "We believe that the inquiry has already contributed to making the scattered Jewish community of Scotland feel safer and stronger, both by the simple fact of reaching out to them, and by signalling that there is somebody here to listen and help."

To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.