It's worth noticing that in the text Charles Dickens used for "Sikes and Nancy", the presentation of which was a major part of his enormously popular public performances right up to his death, Fagin is never referred to as "the Jew", and there is no mention whatsoever of his being Jewish.

Dickens was well aware that this aspect of Oliver Twist was one which risked encouraging something he did in truth not wish to encourage, antagonism towards Jews.