The Jewish roots of M&S - and how it helped the Zionist cause

Marks & Spencer, also known as M&S, is one of Britain’s most successful retailers. But did you know that M&S has Jewish roots? And not only that; throughout the last century, its founding families played a significant part in Britain’s support for the State of Israel.
Early beginnings
The retail giant we know today had humble beginnings. Jewish immigrant Michael Marks was born in Slonim in present-day Belarus and arrived in England in the early 1880s having fled Jewish persecution. He settled in Leeds with very little money and spoke poor English. The Yorkshire city was home to a company called Barran that provided employment for Jewish immigrants fleeing the Russian pogroms. It was here that Marks began his working life as a pedlar, travelling across West Yorkshire selling small goods.
In 1884, he met local businessman Isaac Dewhurst, who helped Marks improve his English and lent him £5 to set up his own stall on Leeds Kirkgate Market.
Ten years later in 1894, with a growing business …