Unlocking North East Jewish Heritage

The Unlocking North East Jewish Heritage project aims to share key stories of North East Jewish communities, allowing them to be understood in their geographical, social and civic context.

The project is led by Tyne & Wear Archives and has worked alongside regional and national partners, as well as members of local Jewish communities to highlight the Jewish history of the region.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for their support for the project.

Tyne & Wear Archives

Based in Discovery Museum in the heart of Newcastle, Tyne & Wear Archives is home to thousands of documents, housed on 20km of shelving, relating to the five local districts of Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside.

The documents range from the 12th to 21st centuries and include building plans, school, hospital and church records as well as business records, especially those of important local industries such as shipbuilding, engineering and mining.

Tyne & Wear Archives (twarchives.org.uk)

The Lahav Jewish Heritage Project

Tyne & Wear Archives also leads on the Lahav Jewish Heritage Project. This project was made possible by a generous bequest from the Ron Lahav Marital Trust to Newcastle City Council in 2017.

The project’s purpose is to collect, preserve and celebrate the rich history of the Jewish community in North East England and in particular that in Tyne and Wear from the 1700s to the present day.

The project is managed by a steering group made up of representatives from Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Newcastle Libraries and members of the Jewish community.

Much of the material collected through the Lahav project is available through the Unlocking North East Jewish Heritage map.

The Lahav Jewish Heritage Project | Tyne & Wear Archives (twarchives.org.uk)

Newcastle Reform Synagogue

The Newcastle Reform Synagogue is a community of over 230 adults and children offering a range of religious services, adult and children's education, social activities and community support.

Regular weekly Shabbat and Festival Services are held at the Synagogue with the building and classrooms providing a focus for learning and social occasions within a single building.

The community and many of its members are committed to supporting social action and environmental issues. The synagogue also hosts a Jewish Book Group and an Art Appreciation Group.

Newcastle Reform Synagogue website

Newcastle upon Tyne United Hebrew Congregation

UHC are the traditional Orthodox Jewish Community of Newcastle upon Tyne, providing rabbinic, religious and pastoral services to all Jews in the region.

They have a fully functioning synagogue offers minyanim and regular social events.

They are also the hub for community meetings and a venue for other community organisations.

Newcastle upon Tyne United Hebrew Congregation website