Experiences Of Jewish Immigrants

Question 1

Work

Answer 1

• majority ran/worked Jew businesses eg. Tailors or cigarette markers.
• created their own welfare system so they were not a burden to tax payers or the poor law
• worked as hawkers and peddlers: selling products on the streets and door to door
• overtime more jews had money and resources to go to university and many began to work as doctors and lawyers

Question 2

Housing

Answer 2

• Lived in poor communities: Gorbals, Glasgow cuz rent was cheaper
• crowded homes, poor sanitation
• some Jews became rich, especially after starting their own businesses, and moved to areas like West End, Glasgow.

Question 3

Religion

Answer 3

• initially hard to practise faith with lack of synagogues and rabbis to conduct Jewish services
• Synagogues built in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Question 4

Scot’s Reactions

Answer 4

• faced less discrimination, arguably due to fact anti-Catholic views shielded Jews from anti-semitism.
• some anti Jewish feelings
• Scot’s disliked Jews working on a Sundays
• Scot’s resented Jews who worked for lower wages, believing it cut everyone’s wage level

Question 5

Identity

Answer 5

• Yiddish newspapers set up, loan companies to help Jewish Businesses
• Taught children religion and Hebrew in synagogues