Whodunit? Two policemen discover the body of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, probably Catherine Eddowes, in London in September 1888. Image by getty images

A new book claims that serial killer Jack the Ripper planted clues intended to cast suspicion on Jews — inflaming anti-Semitic hysteria about the notorious slayings in late 19th century London.

Australian author Steven Senise theorizes that the killer carefully chose the sites of his attacks in order to arouse suspicion about the Jewish community. Jews were detested by Londoners across all classes at the time of the murders in the fall of 1888, and when two victims were found mangled outside of a coffeeshop frequented by Jewish socialists and yard where a radical Yiddish newspaper was printed, the backlash was swift and fierce.

Newspapers of the day speculated on the murderer, while anti-Jewish riots broke out in response to the killings. The rioting during the period of the murders “was consistent with Jack the Ripper’s intentions,” the book says.

Antisemitism Notebook

Your weekly guide through the news and the noise of how rising antisemitism and disputes over how to address it are shaping American Jewish life.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

It’s unclear whether the killer’s motive was to deflect police attention from himself — or to spark hatred of Jews.

Senise names his favored suspect as George Hutchinson, a man in his late 20’s. He claimed to be a witness to one of the murders, providing police with much greater detail than they’d been given before.

Hutchinson, Senise said, later fled Britain for Australia.

Contact Jesse Bernstein at [email protected] or on Twitter @__jbernstein

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount