The Church of England on Sunday apologized for anti-Jewish laws that were passed 800 years ago and eventually led to the expulsion of Jews from the kingdom for hundreds of years.
A special service held at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford was attended by Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and representatives of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to mark the Synod of Oxford, passed in 1222.
The synod forbade social interactions between Jews and Christians, placed a specific tithe on Jews, and required them to wear an identifying badge. They were also banned from some professions and from building new synagogues. The decrees were followed by more anti-Jewish laws, and eventually the mass expulsion of England’s 3,000 Jews of the time in 1290.
Enacted in 1222, the Synod of Oxford placed restrictions on England's Jewish population.
It led to violence and persecution, culminating in the 1290 expulsion of thousands of Jews.
We thank @ChurchofEngland for apologizing for this historic injustice.https://t.co/cBRW5qlIxy
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) May 9, 2022