Oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s that predate the expulsion of the Jews from England
Edict of Expulsion
In 1290, King Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England. Lasting for the rest of the Middle Ages, it would be over 350 years until it was formally overturned in 1656...
have been discovered by archaeologists or by historians in buildings that have been in use for other purposes for many centuries. A second set of synagogues post-dates the legal return of Jews to England in the seventeenth century
Resettlement of the Jews in England
The resettlement of the Jews in England was a historic commercial policy dealing with Jews in England in the 17th century, and forms a prominent part of the history of the Jews in England.-Background:...
. Some synagogues have been destroyed or demolished and rebuilt on the same site, so that, while the site or congregation may be very old, the building may be modern. Still other old synagogue buildings exist, but were sold by the congregation and are now used for other purposes, some as churches or mosques, others for everything from residences to school recital halls. And some very old synagogues have been in continuous use as synagogues for many centuries.
England
- Jew's CourtJew's CourtJews' Court is the Oldest synagogue in the British Isles. A Norman building on Steep Hill in Lincoln, immediately above Jew's House, it is dated to between 1150 and 1180...
, Lincoln, built between 1150 and 1180. - Guildford SynagogueGuildford SynagogueGuildford Synagogue refers both to a probably medieval synagogue and to a modern congregation in Guildford, England.-Medieval synagogue:The Jews probably arrived in Guildford during the 12th Century. It is widely believed that they built a synagogue in the High Street, on a site that is now owned...
, built around 1180. - Bevis Marks SynagogueBevis Marks Synagogue----Bevis Marks Synagogue is located off Bevis Marks, in the City of London. The synagogue, affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community, is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom still in use...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, built in 1701 is the oldest synagogue building in the United Kingdom still in use. - The Plymouth SynagoguePlymouth SynagogueThe Plymouth Synagogue is a synagogue in the city of Plymouth, England. Built in 1762 it is a Listed Grade II* building and the oldest synagogue built by Ashkenazi Jews in the English speaking world. -History:...
, built in 1762, is the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue building in the English-speaking world. - The Exeter SynagogueExeter synagogueExeter Synagogue is located in Synagogue Place, in Mary Arches within the old city of Exeter, Devon,and is the third oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom. Originally built as a Sephardi synagogue for Dutch Jews trading in Exeter, it is now a synagogue of the Ashkenazi rite...
, built in 1763 originally for a Sephardic Congregation. - The Falmouth SynagogueFalmouth SynagogueFalmouth Synagogue was the primary synagogue of the Jewish community of Falmouth, Cornwall. The Synagogue building still stands and located on Gyllyng Street overlooking the harbour, commemorated by a plaque, whilst a Jewish cemetery near Penryn, also remains....
, built in 1806, now inactive - New West End SynagogueNew West End SynagogueThe New West End Synagogue, located in St. Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London, is one of the Oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom still functioning. It is one of two synagogues which have been awarded Grade I listed status by the British government and has been described by English Heritage as...
, built in 1877–1879
Wales 
Wales
The Merthyr SynagogueMerthyr Synagogue
The former Merthyr Synagogue is located on Bryntirion Road in the Thomastown section of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It is a Grade II listed building and thought to be the oldest purpose-built synagogue still standing in Wales.-History:...
(1872) in Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, is thought to be the oldest purpose-built synagogue still standing in Wales.
See also
- Oldest synagogues in the worldOldest synagogues in the worldThe designation oldest synagogue in the world requires careful definition. Many very old synagogues have been discovered in archaeological digs. Some synagogues have been destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site, so, while the site or congregation may be ancient, the building may be...
- Oldest synagogues in CanadaOldest synagogues in CanadaThe designation of the Oldest synagogue in Canada requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
- Oldest synagogues in the United StatesOldest synagogues in the United StatesThe designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...