The history between York and the Jewish community is a rich and infamous one, as an antisemitic atrocity took place at Clifford’s Tower in 1190.
According to the English Heritage: “The planting of daffodils- whose six-pointed shape echoes the star of David-on the tower mound provides an annual memorial around the anniversary of the massacre.”
Although time has moved on, data from the Institute for Jewish Policy Research shows that nearly half of British Jews (46%) say that antisemitism is a “very big problem” in the UK today, and levels of anxiety among British Jews are higher than they were before the Gaza war, and higher than the general population of Britain.
Similarly, a report from the Community Security Trust found there has been a 117% increase in antisemitic university incidents between 2023 and 2024, “unprecedented number of complaints of pro-Palestinian campaigning at universities that feature extreme, sometimes violent, rhetoric towards Israel, calls for “Zionists” to be excluded, or implicit support for terrorism.”
In order to tackle issues of antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities, Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, recently announced £7 million worth of government funding aimed at educating teachers and staff on antisemitism and misinformation.
Rabbi Elisheva, from the York Liberal Jewish Community was asked about the terror attack that took place at a Manchester Synagogue on the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur.
She said: “I think we were not surprised, although we were horrified by the fact that there would be an attack on such a holy day.”
However, when asked about York’s acceptance of Jews, she said: “I think the town is very, very welcoming and very open to Jews in general.”
The YLJC’s mission is “inclusion, equality, and freedom of access. We handle difficult subjects with grace and patience. We want understanding to be prevalent over judgement. Hope is central to and ever present in our community.”
Regardless of the current hate and barriers in the country, the York Liberal Jewish Community has released a statement about Israel with an aim to bring people together.
It said: “We seek to offer all our members and the wider York community and fellow faith organisations our emotional and physical support at this difficult time in the cause of peace. We continue to be a safe space within which all can come together and reflect as a community. We pray for a just, sustainable, and peaceful outcome for all those in the region, and for all conflicts throughout the world.”
The advice Rabbi Elisheva gave to combat the current divisions in society was: “I think we have to talk; we have to ask questions. I think we need to educate ourselves and each other…history is so caught up in the idea of violence as an attainment of ours, and that’s obviously going take more time to heal, but I think it’s a worthy goal.”
