From the medieval period to the present day, London has been home to the largest Jewish community in Britain. However, over the centuries communities have formed in towns and cities across the country, from Penzance in the south to Aberdeen in the north. Communities were often established in towns close to ports, or because they offered economic opportunities.
Medieval Tally Sticks
Tally sticks dating from the 13th century and related to the taxation of the medieval Jewish community in England
Circumcision Set from Exeter
This circumcision set dates from the late 18th century. It was probably used by a mohel (a person trained to perform circumcisions) in Exeter and the surrounding area.
Moses Montefiore Mizrach
Scagliola tablet, part of a wall decoration in the estate of Moses Montefiore in Ramsgate. Montefiore was a prominent 19th century British Jewish leader and activist for worldwide Jewish causes.
Bristol Blue Glass Finger Bowl
Blue glass finger bowl, dating from the early 19th century, made in Bristol by Jacobs’ Glass. The company was founded in the late 18th century by Lazarus Jacobs and his son Isaac.
Silver Presentation Box
Silver presentation box, presented by the Glasgow Hebrew Community in November 1887 to Michael Simons, the first Jewish magistrate in Scotland.
Polish Bonnet
Bonnet belonging to a Jewish woman who migrated from the village of Nowy Dwor in Poland to Wales in the late 19th or early 20th century. She would have worn the bonnet over a sheitel, a wig traditionally worn by orthodox Jewish women to cover their hair.
Porcelain Figures of Jewish Pedlars
Pair of derby ware figures, dating around 1760 from Stoke-On-Trent, represent an increasingly visible sight in 18th century England: the Jewish pedlar.
