Reaching out to Ireland’s Jewish diaspora

An Irish Jewish Gathering begins next Sunday, July 21st. Ireland’s small Jewish community, 1,984 according to the 2011 census, is based mainly in Dublin.

Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said they had “followed the call” and planned “to get Jewish Irish people to return to Ireland for a celebration of their heritage”.

Genealogist Stuart Rosenblatt said there was documentary evidence of about 50,000 Irish Jewish people.

Next Sunday will see the official opening of the Irish Jewish Gathering at Dublin’s City Hall with the president of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland Leonard Abrahamson and chairman of the Gathering Tim O’Connor performing the honours.

That will be followed by a discussion on ‘Tales from the Dáil’. Chaired by historian and broadcaster John Bowman, it will look at Irish political events which involved Jewish TDs including Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

Other events throughout the week include a celebration of Jewish sportspeople, films by Jewish directors at the Irish Film Institute and exibitions at the Irish Jewish Museum in Portobello.