Irish Jews on the rise

Ireland’s Jewish population has increased by 7.8 percent to nearly 2,000 people since 2002, according to government census results. The number of Jews living in the country officially rose by 140 to 1,930 in the four-year period between population surveys, but some community members have suggested that changes to the census form may have produced an undercount. While the 2002 census provided a “Jewish” box under its religion question, Jews wishing to be identified in the 2006 poll had to write in “Jewish” under the “Other” category. Anecdotally, the Jewish population in Ireland has benefited substantially from a general immigration boom in the country, where foreign-born residents make up 10 percent of the population. In the last 10 years the indigenous Jewish community has noted numerous arrivals from Israel, South Africa, North America and Eastern Europe. According to the chief rabbi’s office, however, most have remained unaffiliated, making population estimates difficult.