The feared Black and Tans had set up several roadblocks. It was a Friday afternoon, 1920, in Dublin’s Portobello neighborhood. This area was nicknamed Little Jerusalem, the heart of the city’s vibrant Jewish community.
The British were hunting Michael Collins, Ireland’s famous revolutionary leader. The Black and Tans were certain they had him cornered. They did not, however, realize the network of support in this Jewish community was ready to kick into action.
Collins first took shelter in the home of Joseph Kervon, a member of the Dublin Hebrew Congregation. He then scaled a wall and entered the garden of Reverend Gudansky. Soon he would be disguised as an elderly Jew in traditional dress.
As members of the neighborhood made their way to the local Adelaide Road Synagogue, Collins was huddled amongst the group when they walked towards a checkpoint. When challenged by the Black and Tans, Collins is said to have replied in “gibberish”. This is what the British forces presumed was Yiddish and let the crowd of Jews and Collins pass.
Jewish Contributions to Irish Independence
The actions of the Jewish community in Ireland have always outweighed its size, which peaked at just under 4,000 in the 1949 census. Other notable members of the Irish Jewish community that helped Ireland achieve its independence from Britain in 1921 include:
Robert Briscoe smuggled arms for Michael Collins and the IRA. He later went on to become the first Jewish TD (Member of Parliament) in Ireland and Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Estella Solomons was at the heart of Ireland’s revolutionary network, sheltering volunteers and hiding weapons, once under vegetables she had collected for the Passover Seders.
Michael Noyk was a prominent lawyer who defended IRA prisoners and worked closely with revolutionaries Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins.
Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog was known by the British as ‘The Sinn Fein Rabbi’ for his ardent support of Irish Independence and the fact he spoke fluent Irish. He worked closely with Briscoe and Eamon de Valera, who later became Ireland’s Prime Minister.
Forgotten Help During Ireland’s Great Famine
The Irish, however, don’t just downplay the significant support they received from their Jewish brothers and sisters in Ireland. There is also barely any recognition of London MP Lionel de Rothschild. He helped privately raise £600,000 humanitarian relief in 1847 (about $20 million today) during the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852). This was by far the greatest amount of aid raised for Ireland during this catastrophic time in its history.
In contrast, the Choctaw Indians sent around $170 from America and have carved a special place in Irish hearts and minds for this act of charity, which is still celebrated today. Lionel de Rothschild’s contribution is barely known amongst the Irish.
Antisemitism in Ireland
In 2026 antisemitism is sweeping across Ireland. The nation is stuck in a collective anti-Israeli psychosis that cannot distinguish between its Jewish community and the alleged actions of Israel. All are guilty.
"Young Jewish children come home from school crying because they've been called 'baby killers'," Maurice Cohen of Ireland's Jewish Representative Council said of the reality Irish Jews face. "It’s felt to me that people have been given permission to hate Jews openly.”
The Jewish Representative Council has expressed growing concerns about the number of antisemitic incidents occurring in Ireland, but the Irish Government has refused to acknowledge the growing anti-Jewish sentiment in Ireland, its media, educational institutions and political sphere.
Ireland not only has forgotten how Jews helped shape its nation, its people have also forgotten their own history. Let’s hope this is a psychosis it can eventually wake up from. But don’t hold your breath.
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