List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom

This is a list of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, including synagogues, yeshivot and Hebrew schools. For a list of buildings which were previously used as synagogues see List of former synagogues in the United Kingdom.

England
Jews in the UK now number around 270,000, with over 260,000 of these in England, which contains the second largest Jewish population in Europe (behind France) and the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide. The majority of the Jews in England live in and around London, with almost 160,000 Jews in London itself and a further 20,800 in nearby Hertfordshire, primarily in Bushey (4,500), Borehamwood (3,900), and Radlett (2,300). The next most significant population is in Greater Manchester with a community of slightly more than 25,000, primarily in Bury (10,360), Salford (7,920), Manchester itself (2,725) and Trafford (2,490). There are also significant communities in Leeds (6,760), Gateshead (3,000), Brighton (2,730), Liverpool (2,330), Birmingham (2,150) and Southend (2,080).

Scotland
There have been Jews in Scotland since the 17th century, if not earlier. Most Scottish Jews today are of Ashkenazi background who mainly settled in Edinburgh, then in Glasgow in the mid-19th century. According to the 2011 census, 5,887 Jews lived in Scotland; a decline of 8.7% from the 2001 census. The total population of Scotland at the time was 5,313,600, making Scottish Jews 0.1% of the population.

Wales
There are records of Jews in Abergavenny, Caerleon and Chepstow in the 13th century, all of them in the Marcher Lordships of South Wales. However, after the English conquest of Wales (1287–1283), Edward I issued the 1290 Edict of Expulsion expelling the Jews from England. It is likely that most, if not all, Jews left Wales after Edward I's edict of 1290.

A Jewish community was recorded in Swansea in around 1730. Further Jewish communities were formed in the 19th century in Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and Tredegar."

Jewish communities in Wales were augmented by refugees from Nazi-dominated Europe in the late 1930s.

The modern community in South Wales is centred on the Cardiff Reform Synagogue and the Cardiff United Synagogue. There is also a synagogue in Swansea. The synagogue of Merthyr Tydfil, the major one north of Cardiff, ceased to hold regular services in the 1970s and the building was later sold.

Northern Ireland
The Jews of Northern Ireland have lived primarily in Belfast, where the Belfast Hebrew Congregation, an Ashkenazi Orthodox community, was established in 1870. Former communities were located in Derry and Lurgan. The first reference to Jews in Belfast dates from 1652, and a "Jew butcher" was mentioned in 1771, suggesting some semblance of a Jewish community at that time.