4
Jan
Another Friendship/Cultural event was to the Bevis Marks Synagogue in the heart of the City. This was part of our programme to visit the places of worship of other faiths. Our guide gave the history of the synagogue and of the Jewish community responsible for its Building. The Sephardi Jews had established communities in Spain and Portugal as early as the year 1000. However in the 15th Century they face d persecution and fled to Holland. There they wished to take advantage of trading with England, but Jews had been banished from the country by Edward !. In Oliver Cromwell’s time a number were identified as living quietly in London and were allowed to remain and, indeed, to build a synagogue. Because of the rather tenuous circumstances of their being in England they kept a low profile and the Bevis Marks Synagogue was built in a discreet area, and is still somewhat hidden. It is the oldest Synagogue in the UK and much of its interior dates back to its beginnings in the 17th Century.