Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre

27/03/2023

Our lovely new leaflets are now available - pick up one on site or look out for them in local leaflet racks.

09/03/2023

𝗝𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟬𝟯.𝟬𝟯.𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯)

A five-year campaign to restore a neglected and abandoned Jewish burial ground to its former glory is about to come to fruition.
The original broken and decaying headstones in the Jewish section at Greenock Cemetery have been removed and are being repaired.
The area is being cleared and landscaped by a Greenock-based landscaping charity.
Once that phase is over the stones will be returned and the grounds will be marked by a plaque.
The work is expected to be completed within a matter of weeks and a re-dedication ceremony will take place later this year.
The project began with a chance conversation in Glasgow city centre back in 2018.
A man from Greenock approached Sammy Stein at the Glasgow Friends of Israel stall in Buchanan Street and told him about the cemetery’s sad state.
GFI chairman Sammy visited the site and decided to try to do something about it.
After a great deal of lobbying and pleading, he received the majority of the funding from four Jewish charities — Glasgow Hebrew Burial Society, Netherlee and Clarkston Charitable Trust, Queen’s Park Charitable Trust and the Community Trust.
“And thanks to an article in the Jewish Telegraph, I was able to get in touch with some relatives of some of the people buried in the cemetery,” Sammy said.
“They’ve come forward from Scotland, England and Israel to make donations towards the cost. I’m grateful to all of them for supporting this vital work.”
He also paid tribute to local Inverclyde Councillor Francesca Brennan for her continued support, the landscaping charity for its contribution and to cemetery staff who will install bases for the headstones and keep the area tidy.
He added: “Hopefully, with all this fine effort and support we won’t need to do this again.”

Glasgow Jewish Representative Council - GJRC

15/02/2023

Book now for Scottish Jewish Archives Centre's Open Day, Sunday 26 Feb @ 2pm. Speaker is Maria Chamberlain, the daughter of 2 Holocaust survivors. Her book tells their stories and those of her family members who perished. Free event, booking required: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/CEBX

06/02/2023

Still time to register for this event! Join us and Scottish Jewish Archives Centre to find out about how to edit Wikipedia, to make Scottish Jewish heritage more visible online. You can join in person (in Glasgow) or online

Join us for an online or in person event on Thurs 16 Feb with Wikimedia UK - learn how to improve the information available online about Scottish Jewish History. Free but booking req'd.

To book + more info: https://sjhc.org.uk/news/book-now-online-wikipedia-editing-event-on-scottish-jewish-heritage/

31/01/2023

If you were listening to BBC Radio Scotland on Friday morning, you might have heard the Chair of our Board, Philip Rodney, talking about Holocaust Memorial Day with Kirsty Robson of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. Catch up here: https://bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001hfyj at 2:18:21.

Our school visit service offers pupils the opportunity to find out about individuals who escaped from N**i Europe. We also have a display about the Holocaust, and how people in Scotland helped those who came from Europe around the period of WWII. We currently have space for school visits from April onwards, and travel bursaries are available. We also welcome visits from groups studying Judaism and immigration. Full details of all options: https://sjhc.org.uk/school-visit/

31/01/2023

Fiona and Howard Brodie were delighted to welcome another Cub Scout group to Garnethill last week as part of their Our World challenge to help them learn about other faiths and cultures

17/01/2023

Join us for an online or in person event on Thurs 16 Feb with Wikimedia UK - learn how to improve the information available online about Scottish Jewish History. Free but booking req'd.

To book + more info: https://sjhc.org.uk/news/book-now-online-wikipedia-editing-event-on-scottish-jewish-heritage/

11/01/2023

Book now to join one of our guided tours in 2023. Visit Garnethill Synagogue and find out about Jewish life in Scotland: https://sjhc.org.uk/product/guided-tours/

14/11/2022

Job Opportunity: Freelance Assistant Learning Officer - Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre

Still time to apply! A reminder that the closing date for applications to this role is Monday 21st November:

We are growing our team at the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre! We have a vacancy for a fixed-term, freelance Assistant Learning Officer to help with our popular school visit service. […]

09/11/2022

A pleasure to show the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville, round today. We visited the Scottish Holocaust-era Study Centre to see the refugee stories as part of the Learning Kits and talked about the work we are doing with schools.

03/11/2022

Isaac Hirshow was Garnethill Synagogue’s cantor from 1925-1956. A gifted musician, you can hear one of his pieces and find out more in an interview with Phil Alexander included in this upcoming BBC R3 concert on Fri 4 Nov & available online after: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dg1r

Born in Russia in 1883, Isaac Hirshow arrived in Glasgow with his family in 1922 and lived in the Gorbals. At age 45, he became University of Glasgow's first graduate in music. He is remembered on a plaque in the entrance hall of Garnethill Synagogue.

02/11/2022

Scottish Jewish Archives Centre Special Open Day for Armistice Day

Scottish Jewish Archives Centre Special Open Day for Armistice Day

Scottish Jews Serving Their Country We will remember Jewish men and women who fought and died in wartime, showing material from the Archives Centre collections. We will also take part in a UK-wide commemoration (led by the We Were There Too project) of the centenary of The British Jewry Book of Hono...

01/11/2022

Job Opportunity: Freelance Assistant Learning Officer - Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre

We are growing our team at the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre! We have a vacancy for a fixed-term, freelance Assistant Learning Officer to help with our popular school visit service. See website for job description & more information:

We are growing our team at the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre! We have a vacancy for a fixed-term, freelance Assistant Learning Officer to help with our popular school visit service. […]

26/10/2022

Being Jewish in Scotland

If you missed this programme when it was broadcast a couple of weeks ago, it is available on the BBC iPlayer. Lovely to see Garnethill included among the fascinating stories!

The story of Scotland’s Jewish community told through a series of intimate portraits.

24/10/2022

Unfortunately our Wikipedia event on Wednesday 26th October has been cancelled. Please do get in touch if you would be interested in being involved with a future event!

13/10/2022

Book now for our free event in collaboration with Wikimedia UK and Scottish Jewish Archives Centre!
Help us add information to Wikipedia about Scottish Jewish History and Heritage - you will learn how to edit Wikipedia, no experience needed, all training provided. More info and booking:
https://sjhc.org.uk/news/help-us-shape-online-information-about-jewish-heritage-in-scotland-book-now/

06/10/2022

Timeline photos

Greetings to those who observe Yom Kippur. Garnethill Synagogue, in Hill Street, Glasgow was photographed by William Graham in 1905. https://bit.ly/3LUjZgd

03/10/2022

Have you ever seen information online that you knew was incorrect or unreliable? Being able to rely on accurate information on Wikipedia is key – it is one of the most visited websites in the world, read over 22 billion times per month and is used on the front page of Google search results.

Help us improve the representation of Scottish Jewish heritage, history and culture online by joining our free Wikipedia-editing event with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre & Wikimedia UK on Wednesday 26 October in Glasgow. Full training is provided – We will support you by showing you how to set up a Wikipedia account and make edits, as well as create new articles and upload images.
For more info & to book: https://bit.ly/sjhcwiki

22/09/2022

Great morning planting up our courtyard with some greenery, with the help of our own volunteers and volunteers from the local Garnethill Community Garden. Looking forward to seeing the space develop and bloom.

20/09/2022

Thanks to everyone who visited us as part of our events on Friday and Sunday for Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival, when we had nearly 350 visitors to the building and on the Guided Walk with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre

16/09/2022

Great Turnout for our Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail this morning with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival

15/09/2022

Looking forward to taking part in Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival with our Guided Walk tomorrow (with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre) and open building on Sunday. Both our events are fully booked but you can find out what else is on during Doors Opemn day Festival here: https://glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk/2022-programme/

If you missed out on booking a building visit through Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival, we offer weekly tours, which you can book on our website. You can also download the Garnethill Refugee Trail there too, and walk it whenever you like! https://sjhc.org.uk/

31/08/2022

Booking opens tomorrow, 1st September at 12pm, to visit Garnethill Synagogue during Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival. We are open on Sunday 18th September and look forward to welcoming you then! More info and booking (when open) here: https://glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk/building-booking-ess/garnethill-synagogue/
We are also running a Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre on Friday 16th September at 10.30am.More info and booking (open from 1st Sep. at 12pm) here:
https://glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk/in_person_trail/garnethill-refugee-trail/

24/08/2022

Enjoy music and songs from some of the greatest shows ever written, in this special musical evening in Garnethill Synagogue, organised by the Garnethill Synagogue Preservation Trust. For booking information: https://sjhc.org.uk/uncategorized/book-now-magic-of-the-musicals-event-at-garnethill-synagogue/

15/08/2022

Looking forward to running this again! A Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail will run on Friday 16th September - booking opens on 1st September and will be via the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival website

Glasgow is so much more than a changing cityscape - it's also an evolving community. In this walking trail through Garnethill, we'll view our city through the eyes of the Jewish refugees who made it their home when they fled N**i Europe.

You'll pass by the flats that Jewish artists settled in when they arrived, the hostels where children from the Kindertransport stayed, and the community spaces that helped the new arrivals begin their transition to life in Scotland.

At the end of the walk, you'll be invited to view the exhibition "Scotland a Sanctuary" at the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre in Garnethill Synagogue.

Meet at Garnethill Synagogue on Friday 16th September from 10.30AM.

Tickets to go live on Thursday 1st September. Browse the full programme 👉 glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk

27/07/2022

1 year of the SJHC

Today is the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre's one year anniversary! Our first year has been packed with activities to help people access Scotland’s Jewish and Holocaust-era history. We are supported by a wonderful volunteer team + by funding from many generous donors. Thank you!

23/06/2022

Thanks to all who joined our Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail yesterday - the second time we've done the Walk but the first time we've had a dog at any of our events!

If you missed the Walk yesterday, you can self-guide the route at any time using one of our Trail leaflets or the online version. We'll be running another Guided Walk in September as part of Doors Open Day, we'll put details here when booking is open.
https://sjhc.org.uk/jewish-glasgow-garnethill-refugee-trail/

20/06/2022

Still some tickets left for our upcoming free walking tour, this Wednesday 2pm! Find out about the refugee history of Garnethill. More Info + booking: https://sjhc.org.uk/event/guided-walk-garnethill-refugee-trail-2/

13/06/2022

Garnethill Refugee Trail - Refugee Festival Scotland

Still some free places left on next week's Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail, organised with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre. The walk, on 22nd June, is part of Refugee Festival Scotland, organised by Scottish Refugee Council.

Find out about the fascinating refugee history of the Garnethill areas - More details and booking here: https://www.refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk/events/guided-walk-garnethill-refugee-trail/

A guided walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail, revealing places that are connected with Jewish refugees who came to Glasgow from Europe around the Second World War. Find out where children from the Kindertransport stayed. Learn about the house on Sauchiehall street where refugees were able to meet a...

26/05/2022

We’re delighted to be part of Refugee Festival Scotland! Book a free place on our Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail on 22nd June. More details here: https://www.refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk/events/guided-walk-garnethill-refugee-trail/

20/04/2022

Book now for an author event with Phil Cohen, in conjunction with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre on Sunday 8th May at 2pm. Free event but booking essential. For more information & to book: https://sjhc.org.uk/event/author-event-phil-cohen-a-long-life-in-the-making/

11/04/2022

Thanks to all who came on our first Guided Walk of the Garnethill Refugee Trail! Along with Scottish Jewish Archives Centre, we visited some of the places connected with Jewish refugees who lived in Glasgow during WWII.

We plan to have more in-person walks in the future (watch this space!), or you can do the walk any time by picking up a leaflet from us, following on your phone (https://sjhc.org.uk/jewish-glasgow-garnethill-refugee-trail/) or downloading the pdf: https://sjhc.org.uk/downloads/

29/03/2022

Expressionist Spirit: German Expressionist Art at Leicester Museums

This event hosted by the Leicester Hebrew Congregation looks fascinating - a talk examining the links between Leicester's renowned German Expressionist Art collection and Jewish refugees escaping N**i Germany: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/expressionist-spirit-german-expressionist-art-at-leicester-museums-tickets-290423353067

A talk examining the links between Leicester's renowned German Expressionist Art collection and Jewish refugees escaping N**i Germany.

24/03/2022

Great to have a visit from AJR - The Association of Jewish Refugees this week, and to host a meeting with Gathering the Voices, Vision Schools Scotland and Scottish Jewish Archives Centre

10/03/2022

Have you booked one of our upcoming events? We have weekday guided tours, a SJAC Open Day on 20 March and a Garnethill Refugee Trail Guided Walk on 10 April. More details and booking here: https://sjhc.org.uk/events/

09/03/2022

A New and Very Handsome Synagogue Archives - Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre

We've launched our first online exhibition: A new and very handsome synagogue - Garnethill Synagogue 1879. Find out about Scotland’s oldest synagogue and the people who built it: https://sjhc.org.uk/exhibition/a-new-synagogue/

This exhibition explores Scotland's oldest Synagogue and the people who built it. Find out about some of the early congregation members, and the roots of the community organisations related to Garnethill Synagogue.

08/03/2022

Great to welcome Pam Duncan-Glancy yesterday to visit SJHC and find out about our work with schools. Managed to fit in a quick tour of the Synagogue too!

28/02/2022

Book now for a Guided Walk of the Refugee Trail on Sunday 10th April, revealing places connected with Jewish refugees who came to Glasgow from Europe around the Second World War: https://sjhc.org.uk/event/guided-walk-garnethill-refugee-trail/

Find out where children from the Kindertransport stayed, and learn about the house on Sauchiehall street where refugees were able to meet and mix with local people - and much more!

(If you can't make the tour, the Garnethill Refugee Trail is available as a self-guided walk on our website: https://sjhc.org.uk/jewish-glasgow-garnethill-refugee-trail/ or download the leaflet on our website: https://sjhc.org.uk/downloads/)

15/02/2022

Guided Tours - Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre

Guided tours of Garnethill Synagogue are available twice weekly from March - on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. Book now to find out about Jewish life in Scotland over the last 200 years https://sjhc.org.uk/product/guided-tours/

Join one of our guided tours, to find out about aspects of Jewish religious practice and way of life, and how the Jewish community have contributed to Scotland over the last 200 years.