Jewish Folk Tales in Britain and Ireland

Jewish Folk Tales in Britain and Ireland gathers more than 40 stories, songs and jokes associated with Jewish communities across Britain and Ireland. Liz Berg draws on both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions, bringing together material linked to places such as Glasgow, Belfast, Swansea, Bradford, Penzance and Truro.

The collection ranges from accounts connected with Jewish slaves working in Cornwall’s tin mines to stories told in communities today. Some tales have travelled between regions, adapting to new settings while retaining familiar elements. Historical introductions to individual towns place the stories within the changing geography of Jewish life, while traditional accounts, family memories and modern oral storytelling preserve a culture passed from generation to generation.