Eastern European Jewish immigrants

• In 1881, the Russian Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and a Jew was blamed. This led to a wave of pogroms in Russia, Poland and Germany. Many Jews fled to London.
• By 1888, parts of Whitechapel were 95% Jewish.
• The Jewish settlers were widely resented by the local population
• Some locals resented their success in setting up businesses
• New arrivals from Eastern Europe were often desperate for work and would accept lower wages and would sell their products cheaper.
• Because they had their holy day on Saturday, they were free to work on Sundays, unlike local businesses.
• Their religious and cultural traditions meant they stood out, and not all of them spoke English.
• As tension between immigrant and local populations over housing and jobs increased, antisemitic attitudes and beatings of Jewish people became common.
• When the Ripper murders happened, imaginary sketches of Jack the Ripper showed stereotyped caricatures of Jews, with hooked noses, dark beards and felt hats.
• Two parliamentary committees were formed to look into rising tension in the East End, but they changed little.