The Jews of Exeter

Helen Fry

ISBN 10: 0857041983 / ISBN 13: 9780857041982

Published by Halsgrove, 2013

About this Item

The building of Exeter?s Georgian synagogue (now Grade II listed) in 1763 marked the resurgence of a faith group absent since their expulsion from England in 1290. After surveying the medieval community, this account records its re-establishment in the early 18th century and profiles its leading figures, listing all the town?s rabbis and those buried in its two Jewish cemeteries.

Seller Inventory # 222869

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Jews of Exeter
• Publisher: Halsgrove
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0857041983
• ISBN 13: 9780857041982
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

In 2013 Exeter Synagogue reached an historic landmark with the celebration of its 250th anniversary. As the second oldest extant synagogue outside London it has a rich history that stretches back to the early 18th century. Evidence exists too for a much older Medieval worshipping Jewish community in Exeter, before their expulsion from England in 1290. By the mid-eighteenth century Exeter possessed a viable Jewish community along with Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance in the South West, and looked to the future. During this period the four communities all acquired a burial ground and constructed their own purpose-built synagogue. In Plymouth the synagogue is still in use as a place of worship, built a year before Exeter in 1762, and it also has two burial grounds. The Jews of Exeter is the first fully illustrated history on this subject. It opens a window on to Exeter's Jewish history throughout the from periods of birth and growth to decline and revival. It focuses on the personalities and figures who shaped the community and who kept the beautiful Georgian synagogue going through difficult eras as well as times of expansion and renewal. Exeter's gem of a purposebuilt synagogue which dates to 1763 is now a Grade II listed building and is hugely significant in terms of Britain's wider heritage. The old Jewish burial ground in Magdalen Street on the edge of Bull Meadow was acquired in 1757, and included in this book for the first time is a full list of those buried in the two Exeter Jewish cemeteries, thus providing important information both for genealogists and family historians. Over a period of two and a half centuries the Jews of Exeter have contributed significantly to the wider Devon and Exeter community, including aspects of commerce, business, the arts, politics and civic life. This book will highlight the importance of preserving this unique history and heritage for posterity.