JR’s editor Rebecca Taylor reflects on our recent tour of the final resting place of many a notable Jew
Last Tuesday (3 August), I joined a group of JR readers and our guide Elbie Lebrecht for a tour of Willesden Jewish Cemetery. The leafy paths and quiet sidewalks of the cemetery feel a million miles from the busy and rather down-at-heel main streets of surrounding Dollis Hill, but this tranquil place is the site of centuries of British Jewish history and the final resting place for dozens of Jewish luminaries. The theme of the tour was the cemetery's connection to the art world and our walk took in everyone from Victorian art dealers, such as Asher and Flora Wertheimer, to artists including the pre-Raphaelite painter Simeon Solomon, Solomon J Solomon and his sister, Lily Delissa Joseph, as well as the modernist painter Mark Gertler. One of the highlights was the beautifully restored roundel created by the pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones for the grave of the banker Max Eberstadt. Elbie proved a knowledgeable and helpful guide who brought the people buried there and their stories beautifully back to life.
For a glimpse of the event last week, have a look at these beautiful photos taken by Leonard Esakowitz (click image to enlarge).
