European Days of Jewish Culture & Heritage 2008

On Sunday September 7^th 2008 synagogues and places of Jewish interest will be open to the public as part of the annual European Jewish Heritage Day. The event was originally launched in Alsace in 1996, and came to the UK in 2000, where it is coordinated by B’nai Brith with assistance from Jewish Heritage UK.

Details of venues and opening time are at: http://www.jewisheritage.org/jh/upload/edjc/pdf/PDFText_10_English1.pdf

More information at http://www.jewish-heritage-uk.org/

Printed leaflets are also available from B’nai Brith Tel: 0208 346 7420 or 0208 905 8102

Dr. Sharman Kadish, Director of Jewish Heritage UK, has confirmed that the majority of historic synagogues in Britain are brick-built, some being clad in stone or rendered.

I have had a brief look at the London synagogues that are listed on the programme. I can recommend Bevis Marks, the oldest synagogue in the country which was opened in 1701. It is built of red brick with Portland stone dressings (The Society passed this building but could not visit during a City of London tour some years ago). Bevis Marks was, until recently, the only Grade I listed synagogue in the country, until it was joined by the splendid Victorian New West End Synagogue (1879) last year. Another red brick building, the New West End Synagogue, will also be open on September 7, as will the domed Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue in Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale (1896, Grade II). The event includes all parts of England, as well as the ‘cathedral synagogue’ of Scotland in Glasgow (stone). On the following Sunday (September 14) more synagogues around the country will be opening for national Heritage Open Days, including Liverpool’s Princes Road (1874), the sister building of the New West End, (they were both designed by the same architect). Princes Road has just been upgraded to Grade I to mark Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture 2008.

Perhaps members would like to take this rare opportunity of visiting some of these synagogues, and contributing an article for the places of worship issue of Information next year?

M. S. Oliver