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LIVING UP WEST. JEWISH LIFE IN LONDON'S WEST END.
By Gerry Black
After their resettlement in England in 1656, the majority of Jews established
themselves and their communal institutions in the East End of London. From the
mid-18th century they began to spread into the West End - the wealthy to Covent Garden,
Bloomsbury, Mayfair and Marylebone, followed by the craftsmen, and then by the main group
of poor immigrants who arrived from Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century and
settled in Soho and Fitzrovia. The Jewish population of the West End peaked in the
1930's at about 25,000 by which time the centre of Anglo-Jewish institutions had moved
from the East End of the West End.
A group of former West Enders, working in association with the London Museum of Jewish
Life, have recorded evocative memories of the social life they enjoyed during their
formative years in the 1920's and 1930's in this unique cosmopolitan centre of
entertainment, culture, parks, squares, institutional headquarters, shops and restaurants.
They emphasise the solidarity and strong community spirit that developed among
them, the warmth of family life, and the lifelong friendships they forged.
Dr Gerry Black has set their recollections in the perspective of the broader history of
West End Jewry, and has traced the development of the synagogues, schools, shops, clubs,
charities, friendly societies and other Jewish institutions in the area which catered so
fully for their needs.
This book was published by The London Museum of Jewish Life.
Price:
Paperback: £7.50
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