The People of the Book: Philosemitism in England, From Cromwell to Churchill

The history of Judaism has for too long been dominated by the theme of antisemitism, reducing Judaism to the recurrent saga of persecution and the struggle for survival. The history of philosemitism provides a corrective to that abysmal view, a reminder of the venerable religion and people that have been an inspiration for non-Jews as well as Jews.

There is a poetic justice – or historic justice – in the fact that England, the first country to expel the Jews in medieval times, has produced t...