Where in the UK is welcoming /safe to be openly Jewish?

[MyBeloved]

Just that, really. Currently live somewhere that feels quite the opposite and considering moving. Would prefer the southeast if possible, but open minded.

Will dm you.

Not a very long thread this, is it?? 😂😭

No. Worrying, isn't it?!

I will venture an opinion. If you don't need to be close to a community /within walking distance of a shul, and you are openly Jewish but not haredi, look for a country town that is very "middle Britain" and with slightly right of centre demographics. Most people won't know anything about Judaism or Jews but they won't really have anti-Jewish opinions either.

Avoid university towns, and any trendy / left wing /arrty type town. If you are more towards the very visibly Jewish end of things e.g. haredi, obviously that won't work for you as you need a community in walking distance.

I live in a middle England type place and it's been very quiet. I've lost friends who were more on the left and dropped out of most social things, mainly from my own distrust and PTSD, but by and large most people in the area are very middle of the road, or just curious.
I do have to drive 30-40 minutes for any Jewish community events though!

I would have said where I live a couple years ago but I’ve stopped wearing my Jewish star in public as I don’t feel safe anymore. So not a university town in Scotland - but that’s not southeast regardless!

How about Whitefield in Greater Manchester? Lovely area and has everything you might need.

This is an absolutely tragic statement on where the UK is at now. I never, ever thought I would see the like of this. I thought those days were behind us.

(Not Jewish but appalled at what I have seen happening).

I live in London commuter belt. Very well to do and affluent. I feel physically safe here and my ethnicity isn’t a thing. In fact, there’s a thriving Sikh and Hindu population here and our values are very aligned. The local baker sells challah (I see about 9-12 of them when I buy ours v early in the morning) so there must be a small community - but I don’t know who they are - apart from my DS! My DD is the only Jew in her school of c400 kids. Very few people know we’re Jewish.

Can't help with somewhere safe - I was just in Golders Green (first time in years!) and some twat was walking around in his keffiyeh singing "why do all Jews support genocide, I don't understand why Jews love genocide so much".

I'm out of words at this point

Yeah it wasn't great! Just grateful my kids weren't with me. I wish I had been brave enough to film him, but I've become very risk-averse in recent years so wanted to avoid angering the antisemitic imbecile.

I totally understand...stay safe

My mom is visiting me this winter for my daughter’s bat mitzvah and never avoids an opportunity to confront a bigot. I’m actually frightened about it. I’ve been keeping my head down on instinct for years now.

I'm not Jewish.

I hate to be obvious but what about Stamford Hill? I regularly visit a friend in that area and was there on Sunday. The many Jewish residents are very openly and visibly Jewish and seem to be going about their business unmolested, from what I can see - along with everyone else.

I have heard good things about Harrogate and York - picturesque smaller towns in Yorkshire, but each big enough to support respectively a traditional and a liberal congregation. Not much bother there that I've heard of - at most, a stall in the marketplace type of thing which can easily be avoided. You're more likely to run into raise the colours types - and they seem (the few I have met) to be more confused than actively hostile. Perhaps my posh accent helps me out there.

If you're set on the south-east, hear me out - Ely. Towerofsong is bang on about the demographics thing and it fits the bill. It's a tidy sized, comfortable little town that's quiet, and just about bearable commuting distance to London. Only thing is no shul, you'd have to go to (much more expensive) Cambridge for that - but you can take the train for that, too. I can't imagine there are many Jews in Ely but we know a couple who moved there so there are at least two!

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful replies - I appreciate each and every one of them.

Stamford Hill would not work as we are not Hassidic and don't want to live in London - but the other suggested areas I'll definitely look into.

Shabbat shalom to you all :)

@MyBeloved, how about Maidenhead? It’s a nice place to live (in parts - the town centre is a bit grim these days), has a lively, growing Jewish community and a lovely rabbi.