Anglican Church apologises over 800-year-old anti-Jewish laws

The Synod of Oxford in 1222 cleared the way for the expulsion of Jews from England later in the century

Ephraim Mirvis, Britain's chief rabbi, said he hoped 2022 would be seen as a turning point in relations between communities. Reuters

The Church of England has apologised for “shameful” anti-Jewish laws drawn up 800 years ago that paved the way for the mass expulsion of Jews from the country in 1290.

Senior Christian and Jewish leaders gathered on Sunday to mark the 800th anniversary of the Synod of Oxford, where the medieval church imposed restrictions on the small Jewish community that included the wearing of a special mark to signify their religion.

Historians say the move at the 1222 Synod of Oxford was the start of growing anti-Jewish movement that attempted to stop the mixing of Jews and non-Jews, imposed extra taxes on the community and culminated in the expulsion Jews from England. They were barred from returning until 1656.

The service held on Sunday at Christ Church cathedral in the English city of Oxford was an attempt to reframe relations with the Jewish community, said Jonathan Chaffey, the Archdeacon of Oxford.

The 1222 gathering “represented a particularly disturbing time in Christian-Jewish relations in England, with repercussions across Europe”.

He said: “This service offers a symbolic opportunity to apologise for these shameful actions.”

The Church of England was not established for a further 300 years, when King Henry VIII split with Rome. Sunday’s apology comes three years after the Church said that it had to repent for centuries of anti-Semitism.

Ephraim Mirvis, Britain's chief rabbi, was among those who attended. He said: “Let us not forget that we are still on a journey. There is still so much that needs to be done and so much more that must be done.

“Let us guarantee that 2022 will be seen by future historians as a turning point for the better.”

England in 1222 was home to a medieval church that was part of a broader European movement under the control of the pope.

The 800-year-old laws in England were an amended version of pan-European rules that targeted both Muslims and Jews. Only Jews, with a population of about 3,000, were living in England at the time.

They were subject to widespread anti-Semitic prejudice and were often wrongly accused of crimes, while there were frequent riots against them. Hundreds were arrested, hanged or imprisoned.

“What’s nasty about having any form of restrictive legislation on the books is that it’s there,” said Miri Rubin, professor of medieval and early modern history at Queen Mary University London, in a video recording to mark the event.

She said that the Church had no way of enforcing the rule, but there was evidence that medieval Jews paid fees to avoid wearing the marks on their clothing.