About United Kingdom (UK)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign country in Western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants. The UK has many beautiful historical houses and castles that can be visited on a daily basis. City tours are also very popular, London is the most visited place and in itself has many different types of interest from retail therapy to serious museums and art galleries. The countryside is fantastic and because the UK is not large is easy to reach, you are also never going to be further than 70 miles 113 Km away from a beach and the UK has some lovely beaches.
Jewish History, POI & Kosher Establishments in United Kingdom (UK)
The first Jewish population arrived in 1066 with William the Conqueror and England’s last invasion, Jewish communities were set up in all the major towns, at this point the Jews were property of the King and protected by Royal decree. In the 13th Century the fortunes of the Jews of England changed with many blood libels insinuated leading to pogroms and many deaths. Finally in 1290 the Jews were expelled from England and Wales. The Jewish community reappeared in the time of Oliver Cromwell 1656. The community grew and became more integrated in general life, by the 1960s the community numbered about 350,000, since then it has been steadily declining until today when it is about 270,000. The largest Jewish populations are in London specifically North West London, other centres are Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Brighton and Gateshead near Newcastle. In Scotland the Jewish communities are in Glasgow with a much smaller population in Edinburgh, there are kosher shops in all these places, but only London and Manchester, with 75% of the Jewish Population, have a range of kosher restaurants. Chareidi communities can be found in Gateshead in Manchester and places in London. There are some Chasidic areas in London most notably Stamford Hill.
