List of Scottish Jews

This is a list of Scottish people of some Jewish background, or Jewish people with a Scottish background or connection.

See History of the Jews in Scotland for more information.

Academic figures and scientists

 * Ruth Adler, child welfare campaigner and human rights campaigner
 * Charlotte Auerbach, geneticist
 * Philip Cohen, FRS FRSE professor of biochemistry, University of Dundee, winner of the Royal Medal and other awards
 * David Daiches, writer and literary critic, professor of English, University of Sussex; father of Jenni Calder
 * Jack D. Dunitz, chemist
 * Alfred Edersheim, Bible scholar
 * Charles Frank, maker of scientific instruments
 * Ralph Glasser, psychologist, economist, author of The Gorbals Trilogy
 * Professor Sir Abraham Goldberg, Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine, University of Glasgow
 * Philip Hobsbaum, academic and literary critic at Glasgow University; an influence on many Scottish writers as diverse as Aonghas MacNeacail and Jeff Torrington
 * A C Jacobs, poet
 * Hans Kosterlitz, professor of pharmacology, University of Aberdeen
 * Lesley Lokko, architect, academic, and novelist
 * Stefan Reif, emeritus professor of medieval Hebrew studies, University of Cambridge and director of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit
 * John Michael Robson, geneticist, University of Edinburgh
 * George Sassoon, electronics engineer, translator and author; son of Siegfried Sassoon, buried on Mull, where he spent much of his childhood
 * Leonard Schapiro, historian
 * Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, contemporary Torah scholar and author

Arts, literature and music

 * Chaim Bermant, author
 * Jenni Calder, literary figure and daughter of David Daiches
 * Ivor Cutler, poet, songwriter and humourist
 * Hannah Frank, sculptor, studied under Benno Schotz
 * Muriel Gray, author, The Tube presenter
 * Howie B, DJ, musician and producer
 * Jeremy Isaacs, broadcaster
 * David Knopfler, member of Dire Straits
 * Mark Knopfler, co-founder (with brother David), lead vocalist, and lead guitarist for the band Dire Straits
 * Peter Kravitz, literary critic, editor of the compilation Contemporary Scottish Fiction
 * Daniel Lobell, stand-up comedian and podcaster
 * Macdonald brothers, grandsons of the Hungarian-born English filmmaker Emeric Pressburger
 * Andrew Macdonald, producer, Trainspotting
 * Kevin Macdonald, director, Touching the Void
 * Miriam Margolyes, actor, Harry Potter
 * Isi Metzstein, modernist architect
 * Saul Metzstein, filmmaker, director of Late Night Shopping
 * Rebecca Pidgeon, actor, singer and songwriter (grew up in Edinburgh)
 * B. Marcus Priteca, Seattle architect
 * Jack Ronder, author, dramatist, playwright
 * Hugo Rifkind, journalist
 * Benno Schotz, sculptor
 * Shulman brothers (Simon Dupree and the Big Sound; Gentle Giant), rock musicians (born in Glasgow)
 * Derek Shulman, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter
 * Phil Shulman, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter
 * Ray Shulman, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter
 * J. David Simons, author
 * Edith Simon, artist
 * Robin Spark, artist
 * Scottie Wilson, artist and designer, born in Glasgow
 * Eric Woolfson, musician and composer, founding member of The Alan Parsons Project
 * Eric Woolfson, musician and composer, founding member of The Alan Parsons Project

Politicians

 * Myer Galpern, Labour MP
 * Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery, Secretary of State for Scotland, elder son of Hannah de Rothschild
 * Neil Primrose, MP and soldier, younger son of Hannah de Rothschild
 * Malcolm Rifkind, Conservative MP
 * Manny Shinwell, Labour MP

Athletes

 * Noam Dar, professional wrestler
 * Gary Jacobs, Scottish, British, Commonwealth, and European (EBU) boxing champion welterweight

Business and the professions

 * Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, first female Court of Session judge
 * Sir Monty Finniston, industrialist, chairman of British Steel Corporation
 * Esta Henry, art and antiques dealer in the 20th century
 * Sir Isaac Wolfson, businessman and philanthropist
 * Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf, barrister and judge

Religious and communal leaders

 * Rabbi Salis Daiches, father of David Daiches
 * Rabbi Cyril Harris, Chief Rabbi of South Africa
 * Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchak Hillman
 * Rabbi Yaakov Benzion Mendelson
 * Rabbi Nancy Morris, first female rabbi in Scotland
 * Rabbi Louis Isaac Rabinowitz
 * Rabbi Naftoli Shapiro

Show business

 * Ronni Ancona (Sephardi), comedian
 * Arnold Brown, comedian
 * Jerry Sadowitz, comedian

People of both Scottish and Jewish heritage

 * Simon Cowell, presenter of The X Factor (Jewish father, Scottish mother)
 * David Duchovny, American actor, X-Files  (Jewish father, Scottish mother)
 * Isla Fisher, Australian actress, born to Scottish parents, converted to Judaism upon marriage to Sacha Baron Cohen; has described herself as "quite observant"
 * Oscar Hammerstein II, American lyricist, librettist, and theatrical producer (Jewish father, Scottish mother)
 * Norman Swan, Australian paediatrician known for his work as a science and medical broadcaster on ABC, born in Glasgow
 * Zarif, singer (Scottish father, Iranian Jewish mother)
 * Muriel Spark (Scottish-Jewish father, English Anglican mother)
 * Eugene Levy, actor known for his roles in the American Pie series and Schitt's Creek.