Communal Records | Family History | Local History | ReligionPartially online Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre The Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre is the local government archive and library for the London Borough of Camden and holds a large collection of material about historic Jewish life in the Borough, including organisational records, a newspaper archive, and books to aid in research. Archive Description The archive and library hold materials relating to the London Borough of Camden area including books, local authority archives, archives of organisations, archives of individuals, reports, directories, newspapers, periodicals, census records press cuttings, ephemera, posters, maps, plans, photographs, illustrations, videos and oral histories. Many of these relate to Jewish communities and individuals who lived in the Borough, including information about the Jewish Museum in Camden, a large collection of books about Jewish geneology, and the Jewish Free School (JFS) until 2002. Access Information The archives are open to members of the public by appointment. One hour appointments are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. No photographic identification is required, but no pens may be used and prior permission must be given before copying documents. Enquiries can be made to the Local Studies email address: localstudies@camden.gov.uk. Online Accessibility The archive has an online catalogue, available here. Some material may be accessed online free of charge, but there are charges for using material outside of research and for providing copies. Street Address 2nd Floor, Holborn Library32-38 Theobalds RoadLondonWC1X 8PA https://www.camden.gov.uk/about-the-local-studies-archives-centre
Communal Records | Family History | Immigration | Jewish Life | Local HistoryPartially online Surrey History Centre Surrey History Centre is a local government archive administered by Surrey County Council. It holds the records of the Jewish communities of Surrey as well as other digitised material. Archive Description Surrey History Centre collects and preserves the records of Surrey’s past and present, documenting the story of the county and its people from the 12th century to the 21st century. Amongst its archive holdings are records of specific Jewish families and communities in Surrey. These include collections and items relating to homes, schools and hostels that opened in Surrey specifically to accommodate people escaping Nazi oppression in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Stoatley Rough School in Haslemere; Weir Courtney in Lingfield; and Rowledge House Hostel, near Farnham. It holds records of Kingston Synagogues, including DVDs of Holocaust Memorial Day school workshops by Auschwitz survivor, Martin Bennett, and Kindertransportee, Bronia Snow. It also hold papers of prominent 19th and 20th century individuals and families including banker and philanthropist, Sir Edward and Lady Stern of Fan Court, Lyne; the Sassoon family of Ashley Park, Walton-on-Thames; Polish poet and playwright, Marian Hemar of Coldharbour, Dorking; Polish architects, Edward Henrik Hartry (né Edek Herzbaum) and Teresa Krystyna Hartry of Woking; and philanthropist Leopold Salomons of Norbury Park, Mickleham, who gifted Box Hill to the nation. Access Information The archives are open to the general public and can be accessed by booking a session in their public search rooms to consult the records. The archives can be accessed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 09:45-12:45 and 13:45-16:45. Visitors are asked to bring either a Surrey Libraries Card, Archives Card, or proof of identity including address – such as a driving license or utility bill. The Centre asks that you provide at least two working days notice in advance. Enquiries can be made by email to shs@surreycc.gov.uk, and visitors should pre-order records at least two days in advance of their visit. Digital Accessibility The Surrey History Centre catalogue can be found online, and digital material such as indexes and thumbnail images on the catalogue are available for free. High resolution images of many of the records can also be purchased. The Centre commemorates Holocaust Memorial Day each year with a dedicated webpage on the Exploring Surrey’s Past website and in 2021 they produced a podcast to commemorate the day which is available on YouTube. In addition, the Exploring Surrey’s Past website hosts the Stoatley Rough School Historical Trust content which includes photographs of former pupils and staff, a history of the founding of the school, a profile of the founders, descriptions of learning and leisure time, as well as archive film footage from 1938. It also has digital copies of two United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) collections which can be viewed in the public search room. They are:• Material of Alice Goldberger of Berlin (1897-1986), head of a post-war hostel for child Holocaust survivors at Weir Courtney, Lingfield;• Material of John (Hans) Goldmeier (1928-2002), pupil at Stoatley Rough School, Haslemere. Street Address Surrey History Centre130 Goldsworth RoadWokingSurreyGU21 6ND http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreyhistorycentre
Communal Records | Family History | Jewish Life | Local HistoryPartially online Tyne & Wear Archives Consecration of Ravensworth Terrace Synagogue 1925 • Tyne and Wear Archives The Lahav Jewish Heritage Project is an archiving project managed by the Tyne & Wear Archives, and held in the Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne. It holds material about the Jewish community of Newcastle. Archive Description The Lahav Jewish Heritage project was initially established in 2017 to collect, preserve and celebrate the rich history of the Jewish community in North East England, from the 1700s to the present day. The project is jointly managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) and Newcastle Libraries in partnership with members of the Newcastle Jewish communities. Within TWAM the project is run jointly by Tyne & Wear Archives and by Discovery Museum. The project was made possible by a generous bequest from the Ron Lahav Marital Trust (from which the project takes its name) to Newcastle City Council in 2017. Tyne & Wear Archives hold a very significant collection of archives which document the heritage of the unique and varied Jewish communities, organisations and individuals from across the region. The records include official and administrative records from a large number of now closed synagogues, the records of the Representative Council of North East Jewry, cemetery and ChevraKadishas records, educational records and have a particular strength in documenting the story of Jewish business, charitable, cultural and leisure organisations which developed in the region. The Lahav Jewish heritage project has further enhanced these collections with the additional of a significant number of oral histories and a documentary film. Access Information The Tyne & Wear Archives Searchroom is open to members of the public. Some of the Jewish records in the collections require permission from the depositor for access. Some records have restrictions placed on them to comply with data protection regulations. Access is via the public searchroom at Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Copying and paid research services are also available. For more info please email: archives@twmuseums.org.uk To visit the archive booking must be made at least 7 days in advance via the online booking link on the website. Digital Accessibility The Archives currently have a small amount of digital material available, and digitisation is planned to increase this amount. A photographic survey of Jewish gravestones from North-East cemeteries is available online. An catalogue is also available on the archive website. Street Address Tyne & Wear ArchivesDiscovery MuseumBlandford SquareNewcastleNE1 4JA http://www.twarchives.org.uk
Cultural | Family History | Holocaust | ImmigrationPartially online Sir Nicholas Winton Archive The Sir Nicholas Winton Archive is a private family archive available to researchers, educators, and descendants. It is operated by the Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Trust and holds personal papers, photographs, newspaper cuttings, and other documents. Archive Description The Sir Nicholas Winton Archive was donated to the Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Trust in 2019 by his daughter, Barbara Winton. It contains a wealth of documentary material about Sir Nicholas’ personal life (1909-1938 and 1950-2015), war service (1939-1946), as well as his work organising the Kindertransport and its later effects (1938-2015). The archive also contains photographs taken by Sir Nicholas, newspaper cuttings from 1988-2015, and an audio visual archive consisting of tapes and DVDs of programmes and interviews. Access Information The archive can be accessed by request. Researchers should make an appointment with the archive via the Sir Nicholas Winton website, and other requests can be emailed to info@nicholaswinton.com . Access times for the archive can be arranged once a request for use is made. Online Accessibility The archive hopes to make an online catalogue of the material available in the near future, but some material in available on the website. http://www.nicholaswinton.com
Family History | Immigration | Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnly online Tales of Jewish Sudan Tales of Jewish Sudan is an online archive of oral history interviews and photographs relating to Jews who lived in Sudan, and who now live all over the world. Many live in Israel and the United States of America, but a small community still live in Britain. Archive Description The Tales of Jewish Sudan archive consists of over 65 interviews and over 300 photographs. It covers daily life in the cities Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman, and the towns of Wad Medani and Port Sudan. The Jewish community of Sudan was formally established in 1901, although Jews were living in the country before this. At its peak the community numbered 250-300 families. The last members of the Jewish community left Sudan in the early 1970s. Tales of Jewish Sudan is a part of the private research conducted by Daisy Abboudi on this small but vibrant Jewish community. Online Accessibility The archive is available online, and enqiries about the contents can be made on their website. https://www.talesofjewishsudan.com
Cultural | Family History | Jewish Life | ReligionOnly online St Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS) heritage projects Photograph of Arriving and Belonging participant, David Zwaig's, grandparents before they emigrated to England ca1900 • St Albans Masorti, Arriving and Belonging St Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS) has collected stories from community members to create the following archives: SAMS Roots is a digital oral history collection of interviews with twelve members of the St Albans Jewish community. Mapping SAMS Roots is a digital mapping project which contains over 120 family documents and photographs plotted on to a virtual map. The Arriving and Belonging online exhibition contains stories chosen to illustrate universal themes and show how Jewish families arrived in St Albans and made it their home. Archive Description SAMS Roots is a digital oral history collection held by St Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS) and Hertfordshire University. SAMS Roots was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and contains twelve in-depth interviews with SAMS members conducted by the biographer Caroline Pearce. SAMS members speak about where they came from, and what brought them to SAMS. The full transcripts and interviews are housed online in the University of Hertfordshire’s Heritage Hub. Mapping SAMS Roots contains over 120 family documents, photographs and stories from SAMS members which have been mapped on to a virtual collection using Historypin. These present a rich picture of SAMS members’ roots. SAMS members continue to contribute family stories which are displayed together with a virtual map. The online exhibition Arriving and Belonging: Stories from the St Albans Jewish Community reveals personal stories of migration and heritage, examining universal themes of sanctuary, courage, compassion and starting a new life in Britain through testimonies, objects and family photographs. Digital Accessibility The archives are available digitally:SAMS RootsMapping SAMS RootsArriving and Belonging: Stories from the St Albans Jewish Community For our Mapping Toolkit to help collect stories from your own community, contact SAMS at info@e-sams.org. Our Story — St. Albans Masorti 7 Jan 2022 Arriving and Belonging Stories from the St Albans Jewish Community
Communal Records | Family History | HolocaustPartially online Holocaust Centre North (Huddersfield) Holocaust survivor Arek Hersh (second on left back row) playing football in Manchester, 1953 • Holocaust Centre North Holocaust Centre North is based at the University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The Centre promotes Holocaust education through the lived experiences of Holocaust survivors and refugees. It is part of the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association (HSFA), a charity originating in 1996 to support Holocaust survivors and refugees in Leeds. Archive Description The Holocaust Centre North Archive has a growing collection of material relating to the history and activities of the charity as well as personal papers of Holocaust refugees and survivors who have made the North of England their home. From cocktail shakers to correspondence, telegrams to travel documents, photographs to filmed testimonies, the Centre preserves and safeguards these individual stories and rare materials for future generations and makes them available for education and research. The Centre actively collects physical and digital records, including: Material up to the end of the Second World War Records which tell the story of survivors and refugees post-war, e.g., naturalisation or compensation papers Recorded testimonies (video and audio) Original documents, e.g., passports, certificates, ID papers Correspondence, e.g., letters and postcards Photographs Objects – the toys, household items and mementos on display really help bring the history to life Research Strengths The collections are a rich resource for educators, creative practitioners, and researchers of Holocaust history. Collection themes include: Jewish life in pre-war Europe Impact of the Nuremberg Laws Emigration attempts, migration routes Kindertransport and child refugees Internment as enemy aliens in Britain Ghetto and camp experiences, slave labour Liberation and displacement Making a new life in the North of England Culture shock and assimilation Faith and identity Intergenerational relationships and trauma Memorialisation, post-memory Access Information The permanent exhibition is open to the public for free. The Archive is accessible to the public by appointment, please contact: collections@hud.ac.uk Opening times are Monday to Thursday 10.00-16.00. Online Accessibility The collections are being developed through preservation, cataloguing, and digitisation so that they will be more accessible for different audiences. Descriptions for 70 of the 130+ personal paper collections are available via an online catalogue as part of the National Archives and the Holocaust Centre North website features a selection of survivor stories and photographs. Street Address Holocaust Centre NorthSchwann Building Level 2The University of HuddersfieldHuddersfieldHD1 3DH https://hcn.org.uk 7 Mar 2025 Collection Encounter: Holocaust Centre North “We started with friendship, people meeting for teas and coffees and then they wanted to start sharing their stories” Berta Klipstein & Her Grandmother Berta Klipstein & grandmother, Bielska, 1935. • Holocaust Survivors Friendship Association 9 Jul 2021 Jews and Football Jews and football from the archives
Family History | Immigration | Local HistoryOnly online Remembering the Jews of WW2 Remembering the Jews of WW2 is a publicly-accessible online archive about Jewish personnel who served in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War. Archive Description The archive was launched in February 2020 to commemorate Jewish personnel who died serving for Britain in the Royal Air Force, Navy, Merchant Navy and Army in the Second World War. The archive is a repository of their personal stories. It includes photos, documents, letters and other memorabilia. Discover family origins, schooling, careers and other information provided by living relatives. In many cases no information can be found, and the archive is looking for help to record their details. There are over 3000 names on the website with more stories being added almost daily. The archive is searching for the relatives of those who died to provide information so that they will be remembered. The database for the archive was initially created using Henry Morris’s book We Will Remember Them, a record of the Jews who died in the Armed Forces 1939-1945. Additionally, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has provided details of those with a Star of David on their headstones. Genealogy has played a major part in researching and recording details of the personnel with over 800 family trees created. The RAF personnel served across the world in many commands including Fighter, Transport, Bomber, Coastal, Far East, Ferry and the Middle East, and included are those who served in the many roles supporting the RAF: ground crew, WAAFs, support crew and aircrew. They are buried or commemorated around the world including Canada, India, Sicily, Malta, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Their deaths include those who died through enemy action, accidents, bombing raids, illness and in prisoner of war camps. Online Accessibility The archive can be found on Remembering the Jews of WW2, and enquiries can be sent to: info@rememberingthejewsofww2.com. Home
Family History | Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnly online Memory Map of the Jewish East End The Memory Map of the Jewish East End is a digital mapping project hosted by University College London and accessible to the public online. Archive Description The Memory Map is a new digital resource designed to capture and preserve the history of Jewish East London and to bring the stories and memories of this vanishing landscape to new audiences. The project is a collaboration between the artist and writer Rachel Lichtenstein and three Bartlett research units: the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, the Space Syntax Laboratory, and the Survey of London. Lichtenstein, through books including Rodinsky’s Room (1999), On Brick Lane (2008), and Diamond Street (2013), has been chronicling the history of the London Jewish community for much of her career. Bartlett researchers, across projects including Survey of London Whitechapel and Space and Exclusion, are at the forefront of using digital tools to document and analyse the history of space, place and culture. This project represents a synthesis of the Bartlett’s digitally-driven methodologies and Lichtenstein’s psycho-geographic approach, and seeks to create a lasting document of both the history and memory traces of the Jewish East End. Digital Accessibility The project is available to be viewed online with no access requirements. https://jewisheastendmemorymap.org
Family History | HolocaustPartially online The Wiener Holocaust Library Juden Raus! board game • The Wiener Holocaust Library The Wiener Holocaust Library is a London based private library and archive holding Holocaust records and donated family papers. Archive Description The Wiener Holocaust Library is one of the world’s leading archives documenting the Holocaust and Nazi era. The document collections hold the UK’s largest archive of personal papers relating to Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe and continues to grow, with new collections being added every year. It holds collections relating to Anglo-Jewish reactions to Nazi atrocities and efforts to rescue and rehabilitate Jews in Europe – including the working papers of Rose Henriques who served as the head of the Germany Section of the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad (see World Jewish Relief). It also holds collections relating to the fate of refugees from the Nazis who were placed in the ‘Kitchener Camp’ in Kent. The Wiener Holocaust Library also holds the UK’s digital copy of the International Tracing Service Archive (ITS) – now known as the Arolsen Archives. It holds over 30 million pages of Holocaust era documents relating to the fates of millions of people who suffered under Nazi rule and occupation. The archive is available in the Library for those who wish to examine documents related to their own fate or the fate of family members. More information can be found here. Access Information The Wiener Holocaust Library is open to the public, 10 am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, with extended hours on Tuesdays until 7.30pm. To access the archive, first-time users are required to supply photographic identification (i.e drivers license, passport, etc.) and proof of address. The Library also provides a document delivery service for a fee. Enquiries about these services can be made via email to library@wienerlibrary.co.uk Online Accessibility The Library catalogue can be found online here, and portions of the collection are available digitally along with information about the Library’s holdings and subject guides. Street Address 29 Russell SquareLondonWC1B 5DP https://wienerholocaustlibrary.org/
Family History | ImmigrationPartially online Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) is an organisation for the study and encouragement of Jewish genealogy in Great Britain. The Society library contains a large collection of reference books and other published materials for genealogical research. Archive Description The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB) was founded in March 1992 to help beginners and experienced researchers learn and discover more about genealogy, to encourage genealogical research, and to promote the preservation of Jewish genealogical records and resources. The Society’s Library contains more than a thousand reference books and other items including journals and manuscripts. It is unique in the UK for concentrating specifically on Jewish genealogy and for placing specific emphasis on resources to help those tracing Jewish ancestors. The geographical coverage seeks to be worldwide with special emphasis on London and regional UK communities including Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The library holds copies of synagogue registers such as the Great, New and Hambro synagogues in London, the Spanish and Portuguese congregation at Bevis Marks, also cemetery inscriptions, communal histories, and a major collection on Irish Jewry 1700-2016. Biographical material in the collection also covers Jews in the armed services. Access Information The library is open to members of the society and the general public and details can be found on the JGSGB website. No identification is required but the Society asks that users notify them in advance. Enquiries and requests for access can be sent to library@jgsgb.org.uk or through the contact form on its website. Online Accessibility The Society library has a catalogue available online, and has a large number of research resources available on the Society website. Street Address http://www.jgsgb.org.uk
Commercial | Family History | Immigration | Jewish Life | Local HistoryPartially online West Yorkshire Archive Service The West Yorkshire Archive Service is a local government archive in Yorkshire open to the public. It holds records about Jewish communal life in the area. Archive Description The West Yorkshire Archive Service collects and preserves historical records of all kinds dating from the twelfth century to the present day. The archive has five offices across West Yorkshire in Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and the West Yorkshire History Centre in Wakefield. The Leeds office holds records relating to the Jewish community including the papers of David Makofski, Chairman of the Council for German Jewry Refugee Committee. The Makofski trainee books contain the applications of Jewish trainees with photographs, their date of arrival and proposed employers. Many trainees went to work for the Burton Clothing Company whose archives they also hold. The Burton collection covers the history of the huge tailoring company set up by Montague Burton in 1903 which still exists today as part of the Arcadia Group. At the Wakefield office, within the Leeds City Police Collection, are a set of records called “Alien Files”. The term “alien” refers to anyone who moved to the area from abroad and these files provide a wealth of information about immigration to Britain during the 19th-20th century. Each file, many of which relate to Jewish immigrants, can include the individual’s background, their circumstances leading to their arrival in the UK and details about their families. Access Information The archives are open to the public, and can be accessed by appointment. The archive recommends booking two weeks in advance of visiting, and some collections may require the permission of the depositor prior to access. Opening times vary between the archive offices and can be found on their website. Access requests, and other questions should be emailed to the archive at archives@wyjs.org.uk Online Accessibility The archive has an online catalogue available and some of the Jewish collections have been digitised. Images from these collections can be found on the archive’s Instagram account, and the archive’s blog has published several articles relating to Jewish content in the collection. https://www.wyjs.org.uk/archive-service Montague Burton’s Sunroom Workers relax in Montague Burton’s sunroom, Leeds • West Yorkshire Archive Service 12 Oct 2020 Clothing to Corona: the Life and Legacy of Sir Montague Burton of Leeds A giant of industry, welfare and charity knighted by the Queen.