Britain: 350 years of Jewish life

The BBC Web site has recently published several stories worth reading that are related to Jewish life in Britain:

Tracing the First Jews in Britain

It is 350 years since Jews were readmitted to England, three centuries after they were expelled. But can any members of the UK's modern Jewish communities trace their roots back to 1656? The article has interviews with descendants of some of the first individuals to be readmitted.

1656 - a good year for Jews

Jewish communities throughout Britain have been commemorating a key anniversary in their history. The curator of London's Jewish Museum, Jennifer Marin, explains its significance. The story discusses the 1290 expulsion and the 1656 readmission.

Q&A: Jews in Britain

Covers the history of Jews in Britain, cause of the expulsion, those who left and those who converted, why 1656 is so important, the community's development, and more.

For an slide show with audio about the Jewish East End of London, watch while Rabbi Lionel Blue returns to the neighborhood of his childhood.