Understanding Jewish London
The London Jewish Forum, founded in 2006, is an advocate for the capital’s Jewish community, campaigning and influencing change in Parliament, City Hall and local borough councils – institutions that make decisions affecting the lives of Jewish Londoners every day. Rooted within Jewish values, we work across the community regardless of religious, cultural or political affiliations or beliefs, ensuring that Jewish Londoners have a say over the great city in which they lead their lives.
The London Jewish Forum has produced the Guide to Jewish London for Local Councillors to highlight the issues raised by Jewish residents and community organisations across the city.
It sets out the local priorities that matter for sustaining Jewish community life and offers practical ways for local councillors to respond.
Read the Guide to understand these priorities and how they relate to decisions made by local councils.
Education sits at the heart of Jewish life in London. It shapes identity, community connection, and future opportunity. It also brings practical pressures. Demand for school places is rising, youth provision carries a large share of social support, and safeguarding expectations are increasing across a mixed and often informal system.
Jewish life in London is active, visible, and deeply connected to the wider city. At the same time, safety remains a constant concern. This is shaped by antisemitism, the risk of terrorism, and the impact of events in the Middle East on community relations in London.For many Jewish Londoners, this is not abstract. It affects where people go, how they travel, and how confident they feel expressing their identity in public.
London’s Jewish community is one of the most established in the capital. It is also older than the London average. Over 40 percent of the community is over 50, and the number of people over 60 is around twice the national average. Equally, in Hackney and Haringey, almost half of Jewish residents are under 16
London is one of the most significant centres of Jewish life globally. Its cultural, religious, and communal infrastructure is both historic and contemporary, contributing to the capital’s identity, civic life, and visitor economy.
Social action is a visible and long-standing part of Jewish life in London. It reflects a strong tradition of responsibility to wider society, expressed through volunteering, charitable work, and civic participation.
For many Jewish Londoners, Israel is not an abstract issue. It is part of family life, identity, and community connection.
Jewish life in London is built around community. The ability to live within close proximity to synagogues, schools, care services, and shops is central to how that community functions.
As the number of people with living memory of the Holocaust continues to decline, the responsibility to educate and remember becomes more urgent.