The Board of Guardians was a charity founded by the wealthier or more established part of the Jewish community in London in 1859. It was established because of the introduction of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 amendments by secular authorities. These laws applied a workhouse test to qualify for poor relief; the workhouse was … Continue reading The Board of Guardians and Trustees for the Relief of the Jewish Poor, Eighty Ninth Annual Report, London 1947.
Month: June 2024
The London Conference of 1939 – Original Press Photograph.
The London Conference of 1939, also known as the St James' Palace Conference took place from 17th February to 17th March, 1939. The conference was planned to end the British Mandate over Palestine and bring the British Mandate to a close. It was chaired by the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. However, the Arab Higher … Continue reading The London Conference of 1939 – Original Press Photograph.
Hilchos Rav Alfas (Halakhic Code), Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi, Sabbioneta: Tobias Foa, 1554-1555
Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi (Known as the Rif; 1013-1103) was a native of northern Algeria who received his education in Kairouan, The Rif resided for much of his life in Fez (hence the surname Alfasi) until about the age of 75, when he was forced to flee to Spain, where he died. This book, … Continue reading Hilchos Rav Alfas (Halakhic Code), Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi, Sabbioneta: Tobias Foa, 1554-1555
The Minutes of the Federation of Synagogues, 1887-1912, by Joseph E. Blank, London, 1912.
This book does not pretend to be a history of the Federation of Synagogues in London. It is what it says it is - extracts from the first 25 years of the minute books. On Sunday, 16th October 1887 a meeting took place at the Spital Square Synagogue, presided over by the Liberal Member of … Continue reading The Minutes of the Federation of Synagogues, 1887-1912, by Joseph E. Blank, London, 1912.
The London Jewry, 1290 – in Jewish Ideals and other essays by Joseph Jacobs, London 1896.
Joseph Jacobs, was born, to a Jewish family, in New South Wales in 1854. His father, a publican, had emigrated from London in about 1837. He was a writer about British folk-lore, and published collections which included and popularized some of the best known British fairy tales. He was also a historian and writer on … Continue reading The London Jewry, 1290 – in Jewish Ideals and other essays by Joseph Jacobs, London 1896.
A Jewish Iconography, Alfred Rubens, The Jewish Museum, London, 1954.
This is an illustrated catalogue of engravings. Before the days of photography, the only images of people and places were paintings, drawings and engravings. This catalogue of about 1,240 engravings includes a large selection of images, and I have reproduced a few interesting ones below, mainly pages of Anglo-Jewish interest. I have a pristine copy, … Continue reading A Jewish Iconography, Alfred Rubens, The Jewish Museum, London, 1954.
Jewish Miscellanies 