Communal Records | Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnly online The Living Stones Samuel Becher's gravestone • The Living Stones The Living Stones is an online archival project documenting the Jewish heritage of Bournemouth and Poole through information found on gravestones in local cemeteries. Archive Description The Living Stones website has been created as part of a National Lottery Heritage grant and includes a searchable online database of genealogical information found on Jewish gravestones in local cemeteries. It contains photographs of almost 3000 headstones in Jewish cemeteries in Bournemouth and Poole with basic details of all the stones. The website also includes a selection of stories written about some of the Jewish people buried in Bournemouth and Poole cemeteries as well as other information relating to the history of the local Jewish community. The project will also be recording oral histories with older members of the community and the interviews and transcripts will be deposited with the Dorset History Centre. Online Accessibility The database is available to search online. For more information contact Howard Freeman. The Jewish Heritage of Bournemouth and Poole
Cultural | Family History | Local HistoryNot online The Salomons Museum The Salomons Museum comprises two rooms within the Salomons Estate located on the edge of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The Salomons were a Victorian family renowned for scientific endeavour and for campaigning for the political rights of Jews and other religious minorities. Sir David Salomons (1797-1873) became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London in 1855. In 1937 Vera Bryce Salomons left the house to Kent County Council with the proviso that it be used in an educational, scientific, medical or museum capacity. The family heirlooms and papers were collected together into the Memento Rooms which now make up the museum. The Estate also features on the Jewish Country Houses website. Archive Description The Salomons Museum commemorates three generations of the Salomons family and includes artefacts and documents illustrating the wider Jewish world in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The main elements of the collection are family heirlooms including letters, photographs, portraits, religious books, scientific books, official catalogues, testimonials, patent specifications, medals, embroideries, furniture and other memorabilia. Access Information Many of the items are on display in the museum which is open daily to visitors to the Salomons Estate. Check opening times with Reception at the Salomons Estate 01892 515152. For general collection enquiries and access to photograph albums and other documents please contact the museum curator. You will need to arrange a date and time in advance of your visit and bring official identification. Online Accessibility Malcolm Brown’s 1968 catalogue continues to be a good general guide to the collection. The catalogue can be downloaded from the National Archives website (NRA 13573). There is also detailed information on Jisc Archives Hub (GB 2464 SF). Street Address Broomhill RoadSouthboroughTunbridge Wells, KentTN3 0TG
Family History | Historical Documents | Holocaust | Interfaith relations | Local History | ReligionPartially online Lambeth Palace Library Lambeth Palace Library is the historic library of the Archbishops of Canterbury. The vision of Lambeth Palace Library is to collect, preserve and make accessible the memory of the Church of England, so that its cultural and religious history can be explored and enjoyed by all. Archive Description Lambeth Palace Library’s archives are broadly religious with a strong element of institutional corporate records. The library holds a large and varied collection including manuscripts, Archbishops’ archives, records of the central institutions of the Church, archives of churchmen and societies, and printed books. Much of the Jewish-related archival material held focuses on the interface between the Church of England and Judaism, and can be found in the Archbishop Papers, papers of other bishops/churchmen/societies, and manuscripts. Online Accessibility An online catalogue for Lambeth Palace Library’s collections can be found here. The Library also has a research guide to its Jewish holdings available here. Digital Accessibility Over 30,000 images and fully digitised volumes from Lambeth Palace Library collections can be viewed online. Access Information Access to the Library’s collections is freely available to the public. We strongly recommend that readers book an appointment at least two days in advance of any visit. On their first visit, users must register as a reader. Registration is valid for two years and allows access to all classes of material, with the exception of some restricted material. Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am -5pm, Tuesday 11am-5pm, Thursday 10am-7.15pm Check website for dates of closure and detailed information regarding ID requirements, Reading Room rules, order limits, fetching times, restricted material, and facilities. Enquiries can be made by email to archives@churchofengland.org Street Address Lambeth Palace Library15 Lambeth Palace RoadLondonSE1 7JT https://www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/
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
Commercial | Cultural | Family History | Holocaust | Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnline World ORT Archive Radio workshop at ORT Bramson, Marseilles, France, 1962 • World ORT Archive Archive Description The World ORT Archive (WOA) exists to preserve the historical record of World ORT’s activities and to place these activities into the context of contemporary Jewish History. World ORT’s governance, fundraising activities and operations have left a paper trail of documents and photographs that tells the story of a prominent Jewish organisation participating in the major historical events of the period. The archives include documents, reports, correspondence, films, videos, objects, and photographs that provide a valuable insight into all the organisation’s past activities. WOA’s document collection includes records of World ORT (formerly World ORT Union), its governing bodies and associate organisations world-wide. It includes minutes of meetings, reports, correspondence, fund-raising and PR, research and development, administrative and financial records. The archive also contains several small collections of personal papers, from former staff members and students. These include correspondence, photographs, press cuttings, diaries, certificates, and reference letters. WOA’s photographic collection documents a Jewish organisation’s involvement in Jewish working life, education, and vocational training across the globe from the 1920s to the present day. Its holdings illustrate the hardships and triumphs of the Jewish people throughout modern history. In many cases these photographs are the only remaining record of past communities, places, and events. The ORT film collection is a unique record of the organisation’s contribution to the development and advancement of Jewish education and vocational training in the 20th century. The films document ORT activities among Jewish communities worldwide. Many feature communities that have since disappeared e.g., North Africa and Iran. ORT, also known as the Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training, is a global education network driven by Jewish values. It promotes education and training in communities worldwide. Its activities throughout its history have spanned more than 100 countries and five continents Access Information The archive can be accessed online. Physical access to the archive must be requested via the World ORT Archive email: archive@ort.org http://ortarchive.ort.org
Local HistoryNot online London School of Jewish Studies Library London School of Jewish Studies The London School of Jewish Studies Library holds books, pamphlets and journals covering the history of the Anglo-Jewish community. It is part of the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS). Archive Description The core of the collection is the historic Jews’ College Collection with over 70,000 volumes of Judaica and Hebraica. This collection began in 1859 and was modernized in 2015. The collection contains Jewish and Biblical study texts, and works in a number of languages: English, German, Hebrew, and Yiddish. It holds material on Anglo-Jewish communities, biographies, and general works of Anglo-Jewish history. Access Information The library is open to the public from Monday to Friday, 9-5, with the library staffed Monday to Wednesday 9-3. In order to access the archive you must make a booking in advance at: library@lsjs.ac.uk . An online catalogue is available to browse the collection. Street Address 44a Albert RoadLondonNW4 2SJ https://www.lsjs.ac.uk/about-our-library.php
Local HistoryOnly online Northern Ireland Jewish Heritage Northern Ireland Jewish Heritage is an online history project administered by Belfast Jewish Heritage. It contains information and images about local Jewish history in Northern Ireland. Archive Description The project website hosts a map of Northern Ireland that records the presence of Jews, Jewish industries, and sites related to Jewish history. These locations are presented with detailed descriptions, contextual information, and related images where available. Digital Accessibility All the project material is available online. Enquiries about the project can be made to: info@belfastjewishheritage.org or belfastjewishheritage@yahoo.com. https://belfastjewishheritage.org
Family History | Jewish Life | Local History | ReligionOnly online Jewish Gilroes Jewish Gilroes is an archival project run by the Leicester Hebrew Congregation. It consists of an online database documenting the lives of the Jewish population of Leicester through records from the only Jewish cemetery in Leicester and the surrounding areas. Archive Description Jewish Gilroes is based on research from a Heritage Lottery funded project called Lives Behind the Stones. The aim of that project was to catalogue all the burials at Leicester’s Jewish Cemetery and place the information onto a website. The database of genealogical searchable information is now available, with photographs and basic details of all the stones online, plus a selection of stories written about the people buried there. Online Accessibility The database is accessible to members of the public on the project website. For more information you can contact them on their website. https://jewish-gilroes.org.uk/
Communal Records | Jewish Life | Local History | Religion | SocialPartially online Hackney Archives Hackney Archives holds the archives and local history collections of the London Borough of Hackney. Alongside the records of the local authority, the archive collection holds records of local businesses, clubs, societies, religious organisations, families and individuals. It holds a number of historic Jewish collections that evidence the contributions of the Jewish residents to the fabric of Hackney. Archive Description Collections of Jewish interest include: Deeds evidencing the consistent presence of Jewish residents of Hackney, including of the Da Costa and Rothschild families; the papers of Jewish Councillors and Mayors of Hackney and predecessors including of Sir Louis and Lady Sherman, Councilor John Stanton JP and Sam Cohen; material from Jewish societies including minute books and membership records of The Workers Circle Friendly Society and printed material of the Lubavitch Foundation; Jewish family collections including chemist and local historian Israel Renson, and the Kinn family who were members of the Hasidic Jewish community in Stamford Hill; Council records include information about the administration of specialist services and funds for the Orthodox Jewish Community; and the records of Hackney Downs School, once described as the ‘Jewish Eton’ by the Jewish Chronicle, including editions of the school magazine, clubs and administrative records. The local history library located on-site includes reading on Jewish communities in the East End as well as a wide ranging collection of pamphlets. Access Information The archive is open to members of the public, weekly Wednesday to Friday. Access requires one form of photographic ID and one proof of address. Enquiries can be made to archives@hackney.gov.uk Digital Accessibility An archive catalogue can be found online. The archive’s image database – searchable through the catalogue – has a collection of photographs of the area, including shop fronts of Jewish businesses and religious buildings. The images are free to browse but the archive charges for non-watermarked copies. They are looking to expand their digital offering with digitised documents but this is not currently available. Street Address Dalston CLR James Library, Dalston SquareDalston, LondonE8 3BQ https://hackney.gov.uk/archives
Jewish Life | Local History | ReligionPartially online Liberal Judaism Archives The Liberal Judaism Archives are open to members of the public by appointment and contain historical material from 1898 to the present day, from both the national movement and the Liberal Jewish communities of Britain. Archive Description The archives hold the communal records of the national movement which began as the Jewish Religious Union in 1902, was later renamed the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, and is now known as Liberal Judaism. There is also information on activities that led to the formation of the Union, and its communities. This includes correspondence on potential communities that were not formed and communities that have since left Liberal Judaism. The earliest holdings are manuscripts from 1898 and the collection continues to the present day. It has items both from the national movement and from our communities around the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in Europe. Some of these are in large cities and towns and others are in smaller, more rural places. The archive includes prayerbooks and service booklets, minutes, letters and correspondence, press cuttings, circulars, newsletters and magazines, cash books, oral histories, leaflets and pamphlets, youth movement magazines, flyers, t-shirts, badges, memorabilia from events, students packs, outreach reports, CDs, DVDs, photographs, posters, trophies, and much more. Access Information The archive is open to the public by appointment only. A lot of the more frail material has been passed to the The London Archives, also in Central London, on long-term loan and may be viewed there by arrangement. The archive has listings of this and of other material that has been deposited at the Anglo-Jewish Archives at the University of Southampton. The Archivist can send out the catalogue in hard copy or email on request, and can be contacted here. Access requires two weeks advance notification. Street Address The Montagu Centre21 Maple StreetLondonW1T 4BE https://www.liberaljudaism.org/resources/lj-historical-archive
Jewish Life | Local HistoryOnline BFI National Archive The BFI National Archive is the national collection of film and television, allowing access through their public programme, in venue and online resources. Archive Description The BFI’s vast collections include moving image and associated material relating to Jewish life in Britain since the early 1900s, work by Jewish writers, directors and actors, and dramatic representations of Jewish people on screen. These include collection such as ‘Oy Britannia’, a curated collection of 70 titles about Jews in Britain is available from the BFI National Archive for free public viewing in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank. It brings together documentary records of Jewish life in the UK and artists’ work confronting the 20th century Jewish experience, while recognising the vibrant contribution of Jewish writers, directors and actors to film and TV culture in this country. The earliest surviving depictions of Jewish characters in British cinema offer a disturbing insight into anti-Semitic representation, yet prejudice was later tackled head-on in features like Loyalties (1933) and newsreels documenting the anti-fascist movement of the 1930s. Access Information The archive itself is not open to the general public but access to archive material is possible in venue and online. The archives can be accessed in person at the BFI Reuben Library & BFI Mediatheque (both located at BFI Southbank). A Research Viewings service is also available for access to titles not available commercially, online or via BFI Reuben Library & BFI Mediatheque – more about this can be found here. Digital Accessibility The BFI National Archive holds more than a million films and television programmes, tens of thousands of which have been digitised from their original film and videotape formats with more in progress. It also holds digitised stills, posters, designs and other documents preserved in BFI Special Collections. The collection can be searched online here. The Archive also holds a free curated collection of films from the BFI National Archive and partner archives around the UK entitled ‘Jewish Britain on Film’. The collection spans more than a century and includes newsreel items, home movies, early fiction shorts, feature films, TV drama and documentaries with 80 titles free to view and further titles available to rent. This collection is accessible from the UK only. A Jewish Britain playlist is available to international viewers via the BFI YouTube channel. Street Address BFI SouthbankSouthbank CentreBelvedere Road, Bishop’sLondonSE1 8XT https://www.bfi.org.uk/bfi-national-archive
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/