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Jewish London Tour

• Bevis Marks
• Liverpool Street Station
• Sandy's Row Synagogue

• Discover the rich culture and history of London's Jewish community
• Led by an expert in Jewish history, trace the development of these communities from 1066 AD to the present day. We'll visit venues such as:

Synagogues in London

Commemorating those lost.

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Visiting Jewish Sites in London

Discover the rich history that links London and its Jewish community, with this Jewish guide to visiting the capital. Get a feel for the history and spirit of the Jewish community with a visit to the Jewish Museum London. There are lots of kosher places to eat in the capital, and most tend to be located in Golders Green and Hendon, although there are a few restaurants and food places situated in Central London.

Places to Visit with Jewish Connections

The Jewish Museum London:

The Jewish Museum London is located in Camden , and explores the rich history and life of the UK’s Jewish community. It has exhibitions that talks about Jews in Britain over the centuries, and the way the community has contributed to society. Past temporary exhibits have included a family portrait of Amy Winehouse and Yiddish Theatre in London.

Website:  jewishmuseum.org.uk/

Bevis Marks Synagogue:

Bevis Marks is the oldest synagogue in the UK, which was opened in 1701. It’s situated in the heart Central London in a historic building and is the only synagogue in Europe to have held continuous services for over 300 years. Tours are regularly held every Sunday, Wednesday & Friday, explaining the synagogues unique history and impressive architecture.

Website:  sephardi.org.uk/bevis-marks/

JW3 is London’s main Jewish community centre, that hosts a range of cultural events including lectures, arts & crafts and film screenings, along with walks and trips. There’s a vibrant community feel to the place, with Zest, a Kosher restaurant, situated in the heart of the centre.

Website: jw3.org.uk

London’s East End:

London’s East End was once the home of Jewish immigrants who arrived in the UK from Eastern Europe in the late 19th Century. Little remains of this once thriving community, as most Jews since moved out to the suburbs including Golders Green and Hendon. But the heritage lives on, with lots of historical blue placques indicating where former synagogues once stood around Spitalfields Market .

Kosher Places to Eat

There are lots of kosher places to eat in Golders Green and Hendon, two areas with large Jewish communities. In Central London, there are fewer options, with only one restaurant and several supermarkets offering Kosher products.

Central London:

Reubens is the only Kosher restaurant located in the West End (Central London). It’s situated on Bakers Street, close to Madame Tussauds and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The restaurant serves high end classic Sephardic dishes.

Website:  reubensrestaurant.com

Tish is a Glatt Kosher restaurant located in Belsize Park, and although its outside of Central London, it’s right next to Belsize Park underground station, which means it is very easy to get to from Central London on the Northern Line. Tish serves a pre-paid Friday night dinner and Saturday Lunch menu.

Website:   tish.london

Selfridges:

Selfridges is a luxury department store located on Oxford Street. It has a kosher deli counter where you can buy Hermolis products including sandwiches, schnitzels, spring rolls, kebabs, breaded lamb chops, chicken wings, fish products and salads.

Other Supermarkets:

There are a few supermarkets in Central London that stock kosher sandwiches – Waitrose at the Brunswick Centre (close to the British Museum), John Lewis Food Hall on Oxford Street and Waitrose on Marylebone High Street (close to Madame Tussauds).

Outside Central London

There are lots of Kosher restaurants, delis, butchers and shops located in Golders Green, Hendon, Edgware and Ilford, all areas located in North London. Golders Green is perhaps the most well-known neighbourhood, with lots of Kosher restaurants located along Golders Green Road. The upscale neighbourhood of Hampstead is located nearby, along with Golders Hill Park and Hampstead Heath.

Places to see Further Afield:

The Gardens at Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor:

Waddesdon Manor was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, head of the most famous Jewish family in Britain in the 19th Century. Waddesdon is modelled on the palace of Versailles with extraordinary interiors and exteriors. Displays include a copy of the Balfour Declaration – the letter written by Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild. Rothschild was an important figure in British history, serving as a Member of Parliament and the estate was visited by Prime Ministers and Royals including Queen Victoria. During WWII, children from Croydon in London were evacuated and lived on the estate, along with Jewish refugees from Germany.

Princes ROad Synagogue, Liverpool

Founded in the late 1860’s this is the perhaps the most beautiful synagogue in the UK (pictured at the start of the article), and has influenced synagogue designs around the world, as far away as in Sydney, Australia. Visiting the synagogue can be arranged via a tour, and a time can be set up by calling the synagogue office on +44(0)1517093431

Website: princesroad.org

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Welcome to the Jewish Museum London!

Welcome to the Jewish Museum London, a museum that tells the story of the history and heritage of Jews in Britain through universal themes of migration, family, faith and culture. We exist for all people from all backgrounds and celebrate diversity in all its forms.

Our four permanent galleries showcase the vibrancy of Jewish life in Britain, including a recreation of London’s East End and rare items from our Designated collection of Jewish ceremonial art. Don’t miss our partnership changing gallery on the ground floor, or our brand new research and digitisation space on the third floor.

We have a cloakroom for small bags and coats but we are unable to store large bags and luggage. The cloakroom is available to all visitors and is free of charge.

If you are travelling with large or multiple suitcases, please note that our complimentary cloakroom has a limited capacity. We would advise that you leave your luggage at a suitable destination prior to visiting the museum.

Useful information

Buy Tickets, Opening Times and Prices

Planning a visit? Find out when we're open and buy tickets

Getting here

Don’t have a smartphone or an A-Z? View our getting here section for full directions!

The museum is fully accessible. Lifts serve all floors of the building and accessible toilets are available on all floors. See our access page for further information.

We also have one wheelchair available for use, which can be accessed on arrival. Please book this in advance on 020 7284 7384.

We love having families visit and the museum is packed full of hands-on interactive displays and fun activities .

Food and Drink

Food is a big part of Jewish tradition and the same is true at the museum.

Our warm and welcoming café operates a fish-vegetarian menu that includes seasonal soup as well as fresh bagels and delicious cakes. The café does not operate under Kosher supervision.

Check out our list of unmissable things to see and do in the permanent displays at the Jewish Museum London.

Jewish London Walking Tours

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JEWISH LONDON WALKING TOURS - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Jewish London Walking Tours

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Jewish London Walking Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Prime Minister's Office 10 Downing Street

Jewish History Tours

1552. Ian Fagelson

Ian Fagelson, from London, is a volunteer tour guide who has led virtual Jewish history tours of London for over 900 people since October, raising £15,000 for charities 'Norwood' and 'World Jewish Relief' in the process.

Ian’s digital tour, ‘London’s Jews: A Thousand Years of History in One Hour’, takes people on a trip through London’s Jewish heritage, starting with the arrival of a small Jewish community from Normandy in 1066 and ending at the Kindertransport statue on the forecourt of Liverpool Street station, marking the arrival of Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe between 1938-1940.

Prior to providing virtual tours due to the pandemic, Ian also fundraised through his on-the-streets tours, raising over £20,000 between 2018 and 2020 for a variety of charities. Ian’s support for ‘Norwood’ charity, a Jewish charity which supports vulnerable children and their families, adults with learning disabilities and autism, and children with special educational needs, comes from his involvement in setting up ‘The HOPE Charity’ in the 1990s as a parent of a child with learning disabilities, and which later merged with ‘Norwood’ in 2008. As part of this, Ian has led mountaineering challenges around the world, raising money for the charity.

In a personal letter to Ian, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

“As we mark the end of Chanukah, allow me to thank you for your free tours of London’s Jewish heritage, cherishing what is not just Jewish history but British history and the fantastic contribution of our Jewish community to our great capital city.

“You have inspired hundreds of families and raised thousands of pounds since going virtual this year, supporting two brilliant charities in “Norwood” and “World Jewish Relief”.

“I also want to express my admiration for all you have done – inspired by your son Jonathan – to establish “The HOPE charity” to support families with children with special needs.”

“I was thrilled to be included in the Prime Minister’s Points of Light programme, if only because it will raise my profile and help me to raise desperately needed funds for good causes.”

The daily Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

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‘top ten’ tour guide offers a charitable view of london.

Ian Fagelson's Jewish history, Shakespeare and 'sex and vice in Covent Garden' tours have proved a huge hit with Trip Advisor reviewers. And he's raised more than £25,000 for Norwood and World Jewish Relief

BY Rosa Doherty

When Ian Fagelson retired from his job as a partner in a City law firm, he wanted to keep his mind active.

The North Londoner completed a Master’s degree in history and took a cookery course. But then an advert for tour guide training caught his eye.

Two years of study qualified him as a City of London and Westminster tour guide. Eighteen months on, the 68-year-old has made it into Trip Advisor’s top ten London tour guides from a list of close-on 1,400.

As a history buff and “people person”, Mr Fagelson had decided it “might be fun” to design and lead tours with the proceeds going to charity. To date, they have raised more than £25,000 for Norwood and World Jewish Relief.

He is out in all weathers — most recently during the Ciara and Dennis storms — with “enthusiasm” and “expert knowledge” that has impressed Trip Advisor reviewers.

His tour topics include Jewish history, Shakespeare and the “quite popular” sex and vice in Covent Garden, which focuses on the on sex industry in the 1660s.

“At the time, Covent Garden was the red light district where all sorts of things would go on,” Mr Fagelson explained. “On the tour, we visit pubs and cover their various sordid histories. For some reason, people seem to quite like that one.”

His Jewish tour was different to others in that “I deliberately don’t cover the East End — there are loads of great tours in that area that people can already do. But there is a Jewish history all over London that people don’t know about.”

The £15 tour covers almost 1,000 years of Jewish history, from the arrival of a Jewish community from Normandy in 1066 to the child Kindertransport refugees of 1938.

“On our journey from Bank to Liverpool Street, we encounter the Jews of medieval London, the unfortunate Jewish doctor who inspired the creation of Shylock, Queen Victoria’s favourite prime minister, the Jewish stockbroker who saved the British economy during the 1745 Jacobite rising and the Protestant rabble-rouser who became an Orthodox Jew.”

Mr Fagelson — who lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb and is a New North London Synagogue member — is “delighted” to have made Trip Advisor’s top ten.“It is a really nice feeling to know people have gone online to make the effort.”

For him, the best thing about the tours is the opportunity “to meet people from all over the world. It takes all sorts but there is something about walking tours — the people who take them are always nice.”

One Chinese woman was so enamoured by the Jewish history tour that she invited him to see Fiddler on the Roof with her to explain what was going on. “I get a lot of bookings from Chinese tourists who are fascinated with Jews and Jewish history.”

He enjoys “researching bespoke tours for people who are interested in specific things” and recently designed a medical research tour of London for a group of doctors.

“I love taking people to places they have never been before and people love the fact that the money goes to charity.”

An added incentive is Mr Fagelson’s personal connection to Norwood as the charity has supported his son Jonathan, who has a learning disability, since birth.

“Norwood has been wonderful to my family, which is why I am very active in fundraising for it and always have been,” he said. “They have helped Jonathan enormously with his self-confidence and cognitive abilities.”

His 30-year-old son is currently involved in Norwood’s Sara’s Kitchen project, which offers young adults courses in catering and barista training, while also developing their independence and social skills.

As well as raising money for Jewish charities, Mr Fagelson has designed tours to support other good causes including Child.org, which works to lift people and communities out of poverty.

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Looking for a Jewish tour in London... - Jewish London Walking Tours

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I went on this tour of east London recently with a local Arts Society. It was excellent, with our... read more

We were very haopy to have been able to meet Stephen for a very interesting and informative tour... read more

Looking for a Jewish tour in London Here it is!

A brilliant way to learn about the Jewish history of London. Stephen was so knowledgeable and entertaining and knew so many facts that we were not aware of about our history. Highly encourage you to take this tour to see the side of London and our history unfold in front of you.

Hello again Tami and what a beautiful review you have given me. Thank you for joining me on tour. Kind regards. Stephen Burstin

Fascinating tour of the historically Jewish areas of London. If you are interested in Jewish history, this is the tour for you.

Hello again. Thanks for your lovely review and for recommending my tours. I hope to be of service again with one of my other tours. Kind regards. Stephen Burstin

I had told Stephen where my family had lived approximately and he made sure to have information for me and photos of the that period. He took me to the place where the kindergarden my grandmother attended in 1888 was located! and also her family home when she was 17. Stephen had researched the period well and I enjoyed hearing about the history, daily life and famous charactures

Hello again! It was a great pleasure finding those addresses that were of such importance to you and while I regaled those stories about people and places your grandmother would have known as a teenager I saw the joy on your face when you walked the very same path she trod more than 100 years ago. Kind regards. Stephen Burstin

My sister, niece, 82-year-old mother and I enjoyed our morning with Stephen! Cane in hand, my mother walked 13,000 steps that day! (the most "stepped" day during our 6 day trip to London). My sister and I were very hesitant to have our mom "take" the entire tour and assumed we would have her duck into a coffee shop 1/2 way through the tour, and then pick her on our back up. Stephen was very attentive to my mother's needs and set, what I assume was, a slower pace. He would also stop next to a bench when he had a long chat. I felt like Stephen "himself as a British person" was part of the experience His British "wit" and sophisticated British "emotional reserve" added to the experience. (I also think the previous sentence is an example of *my* American "bluntness." ha! It *is* a compliment Stephen). I also learned a lot about British Jewish history, which I feel I have retained since I "experienced/was immersed" in it while being told that history.

Hello again and thank you for your complimentary review. It's my turn now with the compliments ...and that's to your mom who was determined to complete the tour and did so with enthusiasm. Kind regards. Stephen Burstin

Very interesting. Well presented. Lots of good stories. Well paced. The time flew by. Can’t wait to do another tour with Steven.

Many thanks for your lovely words and I look forward to being of service with another from my repertoire of different tours. Best regards. Stephen Burstin

Steven was fantastic! He had our entire family interested, from my 9-year-old son, to myself and my wife. He really knew the subject area and was able to go on interesting tangents, while keeping us focused. I would not hesitate to work with him again!

Hello again Mr Bargar and thanks for a lovely review. As I mentioned in my first email to you, I revel in ensuring the youngsters enjoy the tour, knowing if they are enjoying it the adults will do so even more. I am delighted your son had a good time. Kind regards. Stephen Burstin

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Is it now a crime to be a Jew in London?

A Met officer threatened a man with arrest because his Jewishness might anger ‘pro-Palestine’ protesters.

Lauren Smith

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Is it now a crime to be a Jew in London? That seems to be the suggestion of the Metropolitan Police. At a ‘pro-Palestine’ march on Saturday, a Jewish man was threatened with arrest, supposedly because his mere presence was ‘antagonising’ the protesters and breaching the peace.

That might sound too shocking to be believed, but the altercation was captured on video:

“You are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything, but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.” Enough is enough. It is time for a major change. On Saturday 27th April — the next anti-Israel march — we are asking you,… pic.twitter.com/lfJr7UZnif — Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) April 18, 2024

As Gideon Falter, CEO of Campaign Against Antisemitism, explains, he was simply trying to enjoy a walk around London with friends after they had been to synagogue that morning. But when they found themselves caught in the path of one of the weekly Palestine marches, they were confronted by police.

Falter and his friends were not there to counter-protest or to wind up the demonstrators. They weren’t carrying placards, wearing badges or even engaging with the protesters at all. (Although they should of course be entitled to do that, too.) Falter only caught the attention of the police because he was wearing a kippah and carrying a small bag with a Star of David on it, both of which marked him out as Jewish.

This is what prompted police to pull Falter aside. ‘You are quite openly Jewish’, the officer can be heard saying in the video. ‘This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything’, he said, ‘but I am worried about the reaction to your presence’.

Falter was then surrounded by officers and informed that he wouldn’t be able to leave. When he tried to explain that he just wanted to cross the road, the officer informed him: ‘In that case sir, when the crowd is gone I will happily escort you out.’

Later, a different officer told Falter that he could either be escorted away or face arrest. ‘If you choose to remain here’, he said, ‘because you are causing a breach of peace… you will be arrested. Your presence here is antagonising a large group of people.’

Certainly, many protesters did seem agitated by Falter’s presence. In the video, they can be heard shouting ‘scum’ and ‘Nazi’ at him.

Hang on a second. Aren’t these marches supposed to be about the plight of civilians in Gaza? Indeed, the Metropolitan Police have themselves gone to great lengths to try to assure the public that these weekly demos are merely peaceful expressions of solidarity with innocent Palestinians. When former UK home secretary Suella Braverman dared to describe these protests – accurately as it turns out – as ‘hate marches’, Met commissioner Mark Rowley seemed completely baffled by the suggestion. He pretended not to know what she meant.

Now the police have tacitly admitted that these pro-Palestine demos are indeed hotbeds of hatred. Officers know all too well that the mere presence of a visibly Jewish man is enough to infuriate the marchers. But instead of defending London’s Jews, the police have decided to appease these anti-Semitic elements – by threatening a man with arrest for being visibly Jewish and refusing to move along.

Can the Met sink any lower?

Lauren Smith  is a staff writer at  spiked .

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