York Castle Museum celebrates city Jewish community

The history of York’s Jewish community, spanning from 1170 to the present day, is shown through a series of insightful displays, community loans and key objects from the York Castle Museum collections.

York Liberal Jewish Community has worked with York Museums Trust to share the fascinating history, captivating stories, and their integral role in York’s society, with a wider audience through this new exhibition.

Philip Newton, Communities Engagement Researcher at York Museums Trust, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with York Liberal Jewish Community to bring this new exhibition to York Castle Museum. The incredible stories and history encapsulated within the display are extraordinary. It’s great that visitors will have the opportunity to read about the community’s past, but also get an insight in to York’s Jewish population today. Not only are we showing York Museums Trust’s amazing collection, but we are also honoured to display loans from the community such as the Torah Scroll, which was saved from Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, and beautiful ceremonial objects related to key Jewish festivals. The Czech Torah scroll, on loan from the Memorials Scroll Trust, is still in regular use at York Liberal Jewish Community Shabbat morning services, with other key festival Judaica items also displayed very much in use in local Jewish homes today.”

‘York’s Jewish Story: 1170 to present day’ explores York’s first Jewish society, starting with their arrival in the 1170s, to the horrific accounts of the massacre in 1190 at what is now Clifford’s Tower, the aftermath of the brutal attack, and how it is remembered today.

The exhibition explores the history of York’s Jewish community in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including information on Aldwark Synagogue in York, the effects of the Holocaust on those living in the city, how Jewish life is now being reinvigorated with the growth of York Liberal Jewish Community over the last 7 years, and how Holocaust Memorial Day is currently commemorated. The display will also showcase the traditions of the religion’s practice and the festivals and events celebrated throughout the year.

Shannon Kirshner, York Liberal Jewish Community’s trustee and heritage project coordinator, said: “This exhibition begins to address a crucial gap in the telling of York’s Jewish history. The massacre of York’s Jewish community in 1190 is still widely remembered by Jewish people around the world today and the story of how the massacre unfolded is still very relevant to understanding how and why anti-Semitism, hatred, and misinformation exists and spreads. York Liberal Jewish Community has welcomed the opportunity to work with York Castle Museum to bring forward York’s Jewish history as well as basic and accessible information about the traditions of Judaism for everyone to learn about.”

The chairman of York Liberal Jewish Community Lilian Coulson said: “York Liberal Jewish Community, as York’s only formal Jewish community, is delighted to have been working with York Castle Museum and Castle Gateway for a number of years and we welcome their commitment to re-examine and retell the history of the Jewish people in York both here and in the Clifford’s Tower / Eye of York redevelopment proposals. This continued dialogue provides a unique opportunity for us all to work together to commemorate its history and at the same time look positively to the City’s future.” The display will run until February 6. The exhibition is included within the general museum admission ticket.