Jewish migration to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that Jewish migration from Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries led to a thriving Jewish community in Britain.
Key learning points
- By 1850, there were about 40 000 Jewish people living in Britain.
- Jewish people lived in poor and unsanitary conditions, with the 1905 Aliens Act designed to limit migration.
- Many Jewish people built communities in Britain; many Jewish migrants made furniture and clothes.
- In the 1930s and 1940s many Jewish refugees fled persecution from Nazi Germany and moved to Britain.
Keywords
Immigrant - someone who settles in a country from elsewhere
Persecution - being targeted and treated badly, worse than others, over a sustained period of time
Kindertransport - the transportation of Jewish children from Nazi Germany to Britain from 1938-1940
Common misconception
Jewish persecution and antisemitism only happened in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
Jewish persecution and antisemitism had been happening for thousands of years, with Britain expelling all Jews in 1290, without letting them return for hundreds of years.
Teacher tip
Make sure students understand that Jews were often migrating to Britain to flee persecution in Europe, and their communities made significant positive contributions to British life.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes someone who moves from one country to another?
Q2.Complete the sentence: The Potato and the availability of jobs in Britain were key reasons for migration from Ireland.
Q3.When was the Anglo-Irish Treaty passed?
Q4.What religion were the majority of Irish migrants?
Q5.Match the correct description to the terms.
remained part of the UK with a majority Protestant population
the independent republic predominantly in the south of Ireland
Q6.What event was caused by the partition of Ireland in 1921?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes being targeted and treated badly, worse than others, over a sustained period of time?
Q2.Which word describes someone who settles in a country from elsewhere?
Q3.By 1850, how many Jewish people were living in Britain?
Q4.What was the purpose of the 1905 Aliens Act?
Q5.How did Jewish migrants impact Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
Q6.Put the following events in chronological order.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Jewish migration to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Jewish migration to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.