THE JEWISH COMMUNITY ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS
 

The Channel Islands are a group of islands in the English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. They comprise two separate political entities, the Bailiwick of Guernsey (which also includes a number of smaller islands) and the Bailiwick of Jersey.  Although they are not technically part of the United Kingdom (they do not send representatives to the Parliament in Westminster), they are British crown dependencies.

The Channel Islands were the only British territory occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, and the few Jews that remained behind during the occupation, suffered the same fate as their co-religionists on the European continent.

Although there is a small number of Jewish families on the island of Guernsey, the only organised Jewish congregations have been exclusively on the island of Jersey.  Theses are:

After the synagogue of the above congregation fell into disuse, those Jewish families remaining on the island lived openly as Jews and continued to hold religious services in private homes. Subsequently the following congregation was established:


Articles on the Channel Islands Jewish Community

The Rise of Provincial Jewry - Channel Islands by Cecil Roth, 1950. Available on JCR-UK as part of the Susser Archive.

References to the Jersey Jewish community in the Jewish Press 1843 to 1936, compiled by Harold Pollins

References to the Jersey Jewish community in the Jewish Press from 1961, compiled by Harold Pollins


Jewish Population Data (Jersey)

1847 -  42 (Roth - The Rise of Provincial Jewry)
1965 -  60 (Jewish Year Book 1966)
1990 - 150 (Jewish Year Book 1991)
2004 - 120 (Jewish Year Book 2005)

Jewish Population Data (Guernsey)

1990 - 9 families (Jewish Year Book 1991)
2004 - 7 families (Jewish Year Book 2005)


Other Channel Islands Jewish Information

Bibliography, Local Research Libraries and Other Sources

 IAJGS Cemetery Project - Jersey Cemetery Information

 

Formatted for JCR-UK by David M.R. Shulman
Latest revision or update: 1 February 2012

 

  
   


 

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