Judaism is the oldest of the world’s four great monotheistic religions. It’s also the smallest, with only about 12 million followers around the world.

The Holocaust of the 1930s and and 40s transformed Jewish demographics-if the Holocaust had not occurred there would now be between 25 and 35 million Jews in the world, and far more of them would live in Europe.

Most Jewish people in the world live

in Israel or the USA. The largest European Jewish community is in France.

There are 285,000 Jews living in the UK. Only 85,000 of them are active in their faith, but virtually all the others still regard being Jewish as a vital part of their identity.

Judaism does not seek converts. Those who convert to Judaism must undertake the observance of Torah (Jewish Law), including, if they are men, circumcision.