Commercial | Family History | Historical Documents | Immigration | Local HistoryNot online The Waddesdon Archive at Windmill Hill Waddesdon is a stately home, managed by the Rothschild Foundation on behalf of the National Trust, who took over ownership in 1957 and opened it to the public in 1959. The house was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of arts and to entertain the fashionable world. Archive Description The Waddesdon Archive brings together records and material relating to the history of Waddesdon Manor, the Waddesdon Estate and the members of the Rothschild family who have owned and managed Waddesdon from 1874 until the present day, particularly James & Dorothy de Rothschild. We also hold archives relating to the Rothschild Family’s wider interests including those of PICA (the Palestine Jewish Colonisation Association) and the Butrint Foundations archaeological archive. We also hold the business archive of P & D Colnaghi, the London art dealers. Access Information The collections are available for researchers to use by appointment. If you wish to consult the records or have an enquiry please contact the archive team on archive@waddesdon.org.uk or 01296 653413. Opening hours are Monday-Friday 9.30am to 5pm. At least 24 hours advance notice is required to access the archive. You will need a driver’s licence or other ID. If you are an academic student or staff member you will also need a letter of support from your institution. All researchers are required to complete a researcher agreement. Waddesdon Archive
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
Family History | Holocaust | Immigration | Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnly online Gathering the Voices Screenshot from the interactive game : Suzanne • Gathering the Voices Gatheringthevoices.com is a Scottish volunteer created archive that documents the lives of men and women who fled to Scotland to escape Nazi persecution. Archive Description The Gathering the Voices project is a registered charity. The members of the Association have collected and made available online oral and video testimony from men and women who sought and found sanctuary in Scotland to escape the racism of Nazi–dominated Europe. A major strand of the project was to allow the interviewees to describe key events throughout their whole lives, so they are seen as individuals not just victims. As well as testimony the archive shows letters, photographs and other memorabilia. The archive has a strong educational focus and is known for its innovative approach in teaching about the Holocaust. The digital archive contains podcasts, YouTube videos and teaching resources. These include digital comics, the most recent of which relates the testimony of Dany & Isi Metzstein and was developed by school pupils. The online archive features two interactive computer games; one of which, Marion’s Journey won the Scottish Games Award for Creativity. The website has a global following and the games were showcased at a recent international conference. There are also ten lesson plans on the topic of Kindertransport designed in partnership with Poppy Scotland. You can see regular updates via X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky Access Information The archive is free to use and enquiries can be made to info@gatheringthevoices.com Digital content All the testimonies and resources are available electronically and free to use as long as acknowledgement is given. https://gatheringthevoices.com/
Commercial | Holocaust | Immigration | Jewish LifePartially online German-Jewish Archives at University of Sussex 'Interior of accommodation at Mikhailowka showing bunks with Nanino on top left (G2.063r)', Arnold Daghani collection SxMs113/5/2/125, University of Sussex. Copyright: The Sussex Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies The German-Jewish Archives are part of the University of Sussex Heritage Collections. Archive Description The establishment of the Centre for German-Jewish Studies at the University of Sussex in 1994 has attracted the deposit of various collections that show the study of political, social, literary and intellectual German-Jewish history. The Centre is part of the Sussex Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies. There is a focus on the history of Jewish refugees and their families to the United Kingdom during and after the Second World War. Many of the collections were donated by families who came to the UK as refugees from Nazi persecution. They brought with them documents which show Jewish life before Hitler came to power. These archival materials show a broad range of Jewish identities. While most families considered themselves assimilated by the 1930s, the material also reveals traces of antisemitism and Jewish segregation. Access Information The archive is open to the public and can be accessed in the reading room at The Keep. Opening hours are available on The Keep website, and two forms of identification must be brought to the archive. The Keep also requires users to fill out an online registration process which can be found here. It is advisable to book a seat in the reading room and order documents to view in advance of your visit Enquiries can be made to: library.specialcoll@sussex.ac.uk. Digital Accessibility Collection level descriptions of the German-Jewish archive are available on the Keep’s website. Some items from the German-Jewish collections are available via JSTOR Street Address University of Sussex Heritage CollectionsThe KeepWoollards WayBrighton BN1 9BP https://www.thekeep.info/
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 | 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
Commercial | Communal Records | Cultural | ImmigrationPartially online Ben Uri Archive Invitation to a Simchas Torah evening 1932 • Ben Uri Collection The Ben Uri Archive is a specialist archive accessible to the public held by the Ben Uri Gallery and Museum, based in London. It holds the records of the Gallery and Museum. Archive Description Ben Uri is the UK’s oldest Jewish cultural organisation, founded in 1915 as an art society serving newly-arrived Yiddish speaking ostjuden in London’s East End,by Russian émigré artist-craftsman, Lazar Berson. The main function in its distinctive 100-year plus heritage is the exhibition of artworks by artists of mostly Jewish descent, within the broader context of Jewish migration, London’s Jewish community, and British and European modern art history. The archives provide important traces of the early careers of major Jewish artists in Britain, such as the Solomon dynasty, David Bomberg, Mark Gertler, Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, and Gustav Metzger. Numbering several thousand items, the archive consists primarily of exhibition catalogues, invitations and material concerning exhibition planning; council and committee minutes; correspondence; annual reports; press cuttings; photographs, and ephemera relating to cultural and social events, including concerts, lectures and fundraisers. The underlying narrative reflects the financial status and social and political interest of the London (British) Jewish community at the time, with particular reference to waves of immigration from Russia at the turn of the 20th century / pre-First World War, and then from central Europe, pre- and post-Second World War. In 2014-16 funding from the Rothschild Foundation enabled two consecutive short-term archivists to catalogue the above items, creating an archive database, which is available online, while translation of Yiddish material (including Ben Uri’s earliest minutes, held in YIVO, New York) was undertaken by the Department of Jewish Studies, UCL, London. The archive also contains Ben Uri’s contemporary record ssince 2000, as yet not catalogued, relating to day-to-day administration, governance and finance, strategic shifts in width of focus, and mental health and school/family learning programmes. Access Information The archives are open to the general public. Users are requested to provide two days advance notice for physical access, and up to a weeks notice if the items are located in the archive’s stores. Enquiries can be made online. Online Accessibility During 2019-20, Ben Uri undertook an ambitious programme, digitising a portion of their archive material, resulting in around 10,000 pages of scans which are available online via Ben Uri’s research portal.The archive’s catalogue is also available online and is searchable by artist’s name and by a number of other criteria, including Jewish subject matter online. Street Address Ben Uri Gallery108a Boundary RoadLondonNW8 0RH http://www.benuri.org
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 | 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
Family History | Holocaust | ImmigrationPartially online World Jewish Relief Archives The World Jewish Relief Archive is a private archive based in London. It holds records of those who came to the UK from Nazi-Europe during the 1930’s and 1940’s and whom the organisation helped to escape and start new lives in Britain. Archive Description The Central British Fund for German Jewry (CBF) was founded in 1933 to bring Jewish Refugees to Britain from Nazi-occupied Europe. World Jewish Relief (as the CBF is known today) still holds thousands of records of Jewish people who were brought over from Europe before, during and after the war. This includes many of the children who arrived as part of the Kindertransport in 1938 and 1939, the 732 child survivors (later known as ‘The Boys‘) who were brought to Windermere in 1945, men who were placed in the Kitchener Camp and many others. There are records for young women who arrived on a Domestic Visa, family groups who managed to come together as well as individuals who were able to secure work before arriving. The CBF’s administrative archive contains documents which help tell the story of the Central British Fund from its inception and throughout the following decades. Access Information The personal records of the refugees are not available for public access. Family members are encouraged to make an equiry using this online form and a dedicated archive team staffed by part-time volunteers will get in touch with any information they may find. The records have been digitised and if an enquiry is successful, digitised copies of the documents can be sent to family members for them to view. The original documents are stored at the The London Archives along with the organisation’s administrative records and access to view these must be approved by World Jewish Relief. You can send requests to the archive team by emailing archives@worldjewishrelief.org. Due to the popularity of the service there may be a substantial wait before you receive a response to your enquiry. Online Accessibility There is detailed information on the World Jewish Relief website about the types of documents and records found in the archive along with stories of some of those refugees for whom files have been found. There are no online catalogues available. If you need any additional information you can reach the archive team by emailing archives@worldjewishrelief.org. https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/about-us/your-family-history
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.
Cultural | Immigration | Jewish Life | Local History | SocialPartially online Manchester Jewish Museum Manchester Jewish Museum c. Philip Vile Manchester Jewish Museum is an independent museum open to the public whose archive holds a broad collection of artefacts and documents relating to the history of Manchester Jewish communities. Archive Description The Museum’s collection charts the many stories and experiences of Mancunian Jewish life. The archives reveal the stories of the lives of Jewish people who travelled from all over the world and how Jewish communities in Greater Manchester were established and diversified. This includes personal objects that were brought to Manchester, objects relating to trades, religious practice, hobbies and domestic and communal life. The Museum’s oral history collection consists of interviews given by Jewish people living in Manchester. The topics covered in the interviews include migration, home and school life, work, politics, antisemitism, war, religion and identity. The museum also holds many interviews with Holocaust survivors and refugees from Nazism in the 1930s. The photograph collection of over 20,000 images portrays the life of one of the UK’s earliest migrant communities. The photographs have historic and architectural interest, recording both community life and communal buildings that no longer exist. Manchester Jewish Museum is housed in a former Sephardi synagogue, described by Historic England as “one of the highlights of Victorian Gothic architecture in the country”. Originally opened in 1984, the museum reopened following a development project in July 2021. This project included the creation of a new exhibition gallery and collections store with space for researchers to access the collection. Access Information Access to view material in the archives can be arranged by contacting the curator – curator@manchesterjewishmuseum.com. Online Accessibility The museum is currently digitising its photographic and oral history collections. Online access to these collections is planned. Digital collections are shared weekly on the museum’s social media platforms. More information on the collection can be found on the Museum’s website. Street Address Manchester Jewish Museum190 Cheetham Hill RoadManchesterM8 8LW https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com 3 Jun 2024 Collection Encounter: Manchester Jewish Museum Collection Encounter: Manchester Jewish Museum