Metadata: London School of Jewish Studies
Collection
- Country:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Holding institution:
- London Metropolitan Archives, City of London
- Holding institution (official language):
- London Metropolitan Archives, City of London
- Postal address:
- 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB, United Kingdom
- Phone number:
- (+44) 20 7332 3825
- Email:
- ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk
- Reference number:
- LMA/4180
- Title:
- London School of Jewish Studies
- Title (official language):
- London School of Jewish Studies
- Creator/accumulator:
- London School of Jewish Studies
- Date(s):
- 1850/1999
- Date note:
- 1850s to 1999
- Language:
- English
- Hebrew
- Extent:
- 11.6 linear metres
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Photographic images
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- Records of Jews' College (later known as the London School of Jewish Studies), include: constitution; minutes of meetings of the College Council and various committees; minutes of annual general meetings; student attendance registers; student admission registers; reports on students; papers relating to exams; agreements relating to property; financial accounts; papers of staff; papers relating to teaching; plans; photographs; printed material. Papers relating to the Library include meeting minutes and reports, agreements, correspondence and centenary celebrations. The collection also contains papers relating to Northwold Road Synagogue including a congregation scrapbook, congregation attendance register and marriage certificates.
- Archival history:
- Deposited at London Metropolitan Archives in multiple accessions between 1998 and 2010.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The London School of Jewish Studies was, until 1998, known as Jews' College and is one of the oldest Anglo-Jewish institutions in existence. It was founded by Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler and opened on 11 November 1855. The College has always had very close links with the Chief Rabbinate, as many Jewish leaders, including Lord Immanuel Jakobovits and Sir Israel Brodie have graduated from the institution. The formation of the College was planned on 4 January 1852 at a public meeting in Sussex Hall. Chairmanship of the meeting was under Sir Moses Montefiore who was the head of the Sephardic community in England and the generally recognised head of the Anglo-Jewish community. When the College opened three years later with 33 pupils it was "for the purpose of affording a liberal and useful Hebrew and English education to the sons of respectable parents, and training of ministers, readers and teachers" (A M Hyamson, Jews' College London 1855-1955). Thus the college was to combine a Jewish day school and a ministerial training college. Jews' College was first located at 10 Finsbury Square, a house in one of the most fashionable parts of London. It was also where many prosperous London Jews lived. Since then the College has had five more locations. In 1881 new premises were found in Tavistock Square, in a house previously owned by Charles Dickens. Soon after in 1900 the college moved to Queen's Square in Guildford Street, then to Woburn House in Upper Woburn Place in 1932, to Montague Place in 1957, most recently to Albert Road, Hendon in 1984. The London School of Jewish Studies exists as a recognised department of the University of London. When the college first opened scholars included boys aged 9-15 years, however at the turn of the 20th century higher education had taken priority at the college and the day school gradually ceased to exist. Many changes at the college emerged after 1945, for example the Rabbinical Diploma class, the Hazzanut class and the faculty for the training of teachers were established. This broadening in the scope of teaching led to teachers being trained to university level and other diplomas, degrees and postgraduate courses being offered. The college has now developed into Britain's only institution of higher Jewish learning with accreditation under Jewish auspices. Since the Second World War, the college has also been the major supplier of rabbinical and communal leadership. Archives relating to Northwold Road Synagogue were also deposited with those of the College. Founded in 1931, the Northwold Road Synagogue was an Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue associated with the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, which finally closed in September 1989. The original congregation was established at 46 Brook Road, which was bought by Mr. Michalowski to serve as a Shabbat Shul. This shul was initially known as the Michalowski Congregation. The Northwold Road Synagogue was also known as the Ohel Israel Beth Hamedrash (Beth Hamedrash Ohel Yisrael) until 1955 and was referred to as the Brook Road Synagogue in the 1950 Jewish Year Book.
- Access points: locations:
- United Kingdom
- Access points: persons/families:
- Montefiore, Moses
- System of arrangement:
- Catalogued in three sections: Jews' College; Jews' College Library; Northwold Road Synagogue
- Access, restrictions:
- These records are open to public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to closure periods.
- Finding aids:
- Please see online catalogues.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
- Yerusha Network member:
- London Metropolitan Archives
- Author of the description:
- Nicola Avery, London Metropolitan Archives, 2018
