Negative Jewish Immigrants Experiences in Scotland Flashcards
Jewish citizens in Scotland had to register for alien status during WWI
This meant that they felt they weren’t trusted by their new home and felt like they needed to look over their shoulder constantly. Also didn’t feel included in society.
Many Scottish social and bowling clubs refused Jewish citizens entry or membership
This meant that they felt ostracised from society as they weren’t included in day to day things and able to meet new people from their new home.
Some groups such as the British Union Fascists, who one of the leaders was Scottish, made serious attempts in 1930 to stir up anti Jewish feelings in Scotland
This meant that the Jewish people didn’t feel safe or part of society as people were trying to turn everyone against them. They felt excluded from the community.
Newspapers such as the Daily Record and Mail reported Jews negatively. They described Jews as an ‘alien danger: immigrants infected with loathsome disease’
This meant that the Jewish population didn’t feel accepted into society and the media’s portal of them doesn’t paint a very good picture of them. People believed what was written in the papers.
Many Yiddish newspapers continued to circulate in Glasgow until the eventual appearance of the English language Jewish Echo in 1928
This meant that the Jewish population found it harder to integrate into society as they still wanted to speak in their birth language and Scots will have seen this as them not wanting to be a Scot or become Scottish.
Many of the early Jewish immigrants were poor and so could only afford housing in areas of Glasgow like the gorbals where poor sanctification and overcrowding was already and issue
This meant that people saw them as unclean or disease ridden as they lived in an area with poor sanitation and overcrowding so will have treated the first Jewish people as less than themselves.
Jewish immigrants continued to openly practise their Jewish faith in Scotland, which was a predominantly protestant country. Orthodox Jews looked visibly different within the Scottish community due to their traditional dress
This meant that people treated them differently as they looked different and were of a different faith to them.
Jewish immigrants often tended to agree to work for low wages, this added to the fear that there may be an overall cut in wages for workers
This meant that Scots treated them badly as they thought it was the Jewish populations fault that wages were going down as they would work for little money. They also didn’t earn enough to support their families and often ended up in poverty.
Some Jewish business owners often gained a reputation as harsh ‘masters’, offering poor working conditions
This meant that people didn’t want to support a Jewish business as they thought they didn’t treat their employees well, meaning the owner wouldn’t make enough money to keep his business afloat.
