SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS IN LONDON Dr. A. S. Caplan CENTRE FOR MINORITY STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON August 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was commissioned by the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town. Its Director, Professor Milton Shain, and his colleague, Shirley Bruk, provided essential support and advice from the study’s inception, and they were complemented in London by ‘friends’ of the Centre, Saul Issroff, Phyllis Rapp and Jenny Altschuler who advised us on the survey questionnaire. Saul was particularly involved in getting the ‘snowball’ rolling by providing the initial contact names from which the sample accumulated. Thanks are also due to Professor David Cesarani for the initial encouragement to embark on this study, to Professor Stanley Cohen for his advice and support on the study’s methodology, and to Lindsay Talmud on reaching our sample. We are grateful to Rachel Hastings Caplan for her careful reading of the text, and to our families for their indulgence over the long haul of the Project. Despite these debts, the final result is the responsibility of the research team only. Research Team Professor Humayun Ansari, Director Centre for Minority Studies, History Department, Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) Dr Andrew Caplan, History Department, RHUL (Lead Researcher) 1 June Jackson, Director Equality Research and Consulting Ltd. (EQRC) Amir Aujla, Associate Researcher, EQRC Preeti Kathrecha, Associate Researcher, EQRC Dr Robin Oakley, Honorary Research Fellow, RHUL Dr Marco Cinnirella, Senior Lecturer, Psychology Department, RHUL 1 Lead Researcher contact details: [email protected] or via [email protected] , office tel. +44 (0)1932 561320 CONTENTS Executive Summary i - iv 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................1 2. Literature Review.....................................................................................4 3. Method.....................................................................................................7 4. Characteristics of the South African Jewish Community of London.......13 5. The Immigration Experience ..................................................................24 6. Integration into British Society ...............................................................38 7. Work and Employment...........................................................................54 8. Connection with South Africa.................................................................63 9. Jewish Identity and Religiosity ...............................................................76 10. Attitude toward Israel ...........................................................................102 11. Conclusions .........................................................................................108 References...................................................................................................117 Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire Appendix 2a: Invitation to participate Appendix 2b: Survey flyer Appendix 2c: Survey poster LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Residence of the sample ................................................................... ii Figure 2 Gender of sample ............................................................................13 Figure 3 Age range of sample........................................................................13 Figure 4 Family origins...................................................................................14 Figure 5 Origins of the sample.......................................................................15 Figure 6 Marital status of sample...................................................................15 Figure 7 Country where spouse or partner was born.....................................16 Figure 8 Residence of the sample .................................................................20 Figure 9 Number of rooms in house (excluding kitchen, bathrooms ..............22 Figure 10 Emigration from South Africa of the sample from 1954 - 2009 ......27 Figure 11 Feelings of identity.........................................................................40 Figure 12 Attachment to the UK.....................................................................41 Figure 13 To what extent do you feel 'at home' in the UK?............................43 Figure 14 Satisfaction with living in London ...................................................43 Figure 15 Perceptions of South Africans in local neighbourhood...................44 Figure 16 Importance of a Jewish environment .............................................45 Figure 17 Voting inclinations..........................................................................46 Figure 18 Likelihood of staying in/leaving the UK ..........................................47 Figure 19 If you were to move what country would you be likely to move to?48 Figure 20 Year of arrival and number of British friendships ...........................49 Figure 21 Proportion of British close friends compared with South African close friends...................................................................................................50 Figure 22 Associations with British people.....................................................51 Figure 23 Associations with South African people .........................................52 Figure 24 Years of work outside the UK ........................................................54 Figure 25 Location of workplaces in London..................................................55 Figure 26 Nature of employment....................................................................56 Figure 27 Nationality of co-workers................................................................56 Figure 28 Origin of contact for source of employment ...................................58 Figure 29 Number of years work in the UK ....................................................60 Figure 30 Levels of satisfaction regarding income and economic situation ...60 Figure 31 Gross monthly personal income ....................................................61 Figure 32 Gross monthly household income..................................................61 Figure 33 Origins of the sample before emigration ........................................63 Figure 34 Importance of South African identity when growing up ..................64 Figure 35 Attachment towards South Africa...................................................66 Figure 36 Reasons for strong/moderate attachment to South Africa now......67 Figure 37 Visits to South Africa since moving to the UK ................................70 Figure 38 Level of importance for keeping in touch with other ex-South Africans..........................................................................................................70 Figure 39 Percentages of South African close friends ...................................71 Figure 40 Contact with family/friends in South Africa and abroad..................72 Figure 41 Importance of passing on a familiarity with South African culture to children ..........................................................................................................73 Figure 42 Religious affiliation.........................................................................79 Figure 43 Synagogue attendance..................................................................81 Figure 44 Feelings about the Torah...............................................................82 Figure 45 Religious observance.....................................................................82 Figure 46 Observance of laws of kashrut .......................................................84 Figure 47 Charitable contributions .................................................................85 Figure 48 Contributions to Jewish charities ...................................................86 Figure 49 Proportions of Jewish friends and socialising ................................88 Figure 50 Defining identity .............................................................................89 Figure 51 Comparison of British feeling with South African and Jewish ........89 Figure 52 Changes in religious observance...................................................91 Figure 53 Changes in Jewish identity ............................................................91 Figure 54 The importance of passing on Jewish knowledge..........................92 Figure 55 Levels of anti-Semitism in the UK ..................................................93 Figure 56 The nature of anti-Semitism...........................................................94 Figure 57 Ethnic preferences for neighbours .................................................95 Figure 58 Ethnic preferences for spouse of children......................................98 Figure 59 The extent of Zionism in identity ..................................................102 Figure 60 Changes in Zionism since leaving South Africa ...........................103 Figure 61 Land for peace?...........................................................................106 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Children of the sample ......................................................................16 Table 2 Highest level of qualification..............................................................17 Table 3 Subject of highest qualification..........................................................18 Table 4