Scottish Jews split on crucial independence vote
As Scotland prepares for next week’s crucial independence vote, Jewish organisations north of the border this week refused to publicly back either side.
While most Scottish Jews, when privately polled, said they would vote ‘No,’ representative councils, umbrella groups and synagogues insisted they couldn’t take a collective view.
“There is nothing special about our community from this perspective,” said Prof. Ehud Reiter, the vice-president of Aberdeen Hebrew Congregation.
“We have people who support independence and people who oppose it. People’s attitude is probably better predicted by their political affiliation than by anything related to being Jewish.”
Former Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate Frank Angell and Prof. Joe Goldblatt from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, are among the very few prominent Jews in Scotland to proclaim their allegiance to the ‘Yes’ camp.
But to communal leaders in Scotland, independence would have little or no impact on the Jewish community north of the border, so the community as a whole has not taken a position.
“We do not believe that there is any intrinsic threat to Jewish people or the Community as such, nor any inherent benefit, from either independence or continued membership of the union,” said Ephraim Borowski from the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC).
“So just as we cannot take sides in an election, we cannot take sides in the Referendum,” he said. “Clearly opinion about independence is divided.”
There is unscientific evidence that the vast majority of Scottish Jews would vote ‘No,’ however. In a straw poll on independence taken at a communal event earlier this summer, the audience split roughly 200 against and 3 for.
The debate has focused on economic issues, and most nationwide polls suggest that voters will opt for independence only if it makes a positive financial difference to them.
So, with Scots set to enter the polling booth on 18 September, will they follow their heads, their hearts, or their pockets? “Who knows!” says Borowski. “We can’t say. But we’ll continue to work with whoever governs Scotland.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
