Profit, Fidelity and Nobleness

This chapter examines how the constructed image of Sephardic Jews in England influenced perceptions of Jewish identity and contributed to the notion of the imagined English Jew. The triad of profit, fidelity, and nobleness shaped this portrayal, from Menasseh ben Israel’s arguments for the readmission of the Jews to England to the debates surrounding the Jew Bill of 1753 and the advocacy of Grace Aguilar, Elias H. Lindo, and other authors for Jewish emancipation in the 19th century. Sephardic Jews’ economic contributions and loyalty were central to justifications for their readmission and naturalisation. By the 19th century, their idealised image as noble, prosperous, and patriotic extended to the wider Jewish community, reinforcing calls for emancipation. “Profit, Fidelity and Nobleness” explores how historical narratives and cultural stereotypes shaped both Jewish self-perception and external attitudes towards Jewish integration into British society.