Jewish Museum London is now delivering our learning programmes and collections displays in the community & around the UK. Come and visit us at Swiss Cottage Library from 7 March to 4 April.

Conversation Room

“If you seek to learn, grow, pursue truth and find freedom, seek places that welcome argument and respect dissenting views.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l

The Jewish Museum London welcomes you to join the discussion and explore different points of view in our new Conversation Room. Objects and themes will respond to contemporary issues and change every 3 months.

What is the Conversation Room?

Conversations have no time limit and continue as long as people take part.

In this space, you are invited to explore different viewpoints through objects from our collection.

Inspired by the centuries’ long interactions on a Talmud page, you will find conversations happening between Rabbis across the generations. We hope you will find inspiration from objects in our collection and contemporary issues, and be prompted to think, reflect and respond on our commentary wall.

Please join us and add your views to a contemporary conversation, as we create a living commentary wall, writing your own response on a postcard and placing it alongside other peoples’ responses.

How does it work?

Our first Conversation Room starts with three spice boxes made in the Ukraine. These objects are used during a short ceremony, Havdalah, which marks the end of the Sabbath. Havadalah, Hebrew for ‘separation’, divides the ordinary working week and the Sabbath.

Inspired by Havdalah, the Jewish Museum London invited three people to consider what separation means to them:

Sabina Artemieva, Homes for Ukraine Project Officer, World Jewish Relief;

Rabbi Geoffrey L. Shisler,

Professor Eli Silber, Consultant Neurologist, Professor of Clinical Neurology.

Reflecting on the Russia-Ukraine War, we ask you to consider what separation means to you.

When can I visit the Conversation Room?

The Conversation Room is open to the public on Sundays and Thursdays from 10am to 5pm. Private groups with bookings at the Museum are welcome to visit other days of the week.