This season, we’re exploring Jewish heritage in southern England with a series of alternating lunchtime lectures on Zoom (free, but donations appreciated) and day trips (£65-£72.50) that delve into the Jewish history of Sussex, Hampshire, Kent and Buckinghamshire. This series is run in partnership with the Lyons Learning Project.
Lunchtime lectures begin at 1pm (BST); meeting times for the day trips are 10.45am for an 11am start. Streaming links for online events will be sent out shortly before each event. Full details below.
JR has an ethical ticketing policy and is offering free tickets to the lectures, but if you can afford it, please donate to support our work. We are proposing denominations of 18 – the numerical value of the Hebrew word 'chai', meaning 'life'.
Wednesday 21 June
Day Trip: Kent
Ightham Mote, a picturesque medieval manor surrounded by a moat, was once home to Mary Freda Cohen, the second wife of Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson and a close relative of the Montefiores and Rothschilds, as the guestbook attests. Discover more about this 14th-century National Trust property and its many Jewish connections with Amanda-Jane Doran, Ightham Mote’s collections and house manager. Following the tour, we’ll visit Tudeley to see Marc Chagall’s exquisite stained-glass windows in All Saints Church.
Ticket price includes all entry fees, specialist guides and lunch. Please arrive by 10.45am for an 11am start. If you don’t drive, contact Emma via programming@jewishrenaissance.org.uk and we will arrange a carshare from north London or Sevenoaks station.
10.45am (BST). £65 early bird price until 12pm on 8 Jun, £72.50 thereafter. Meeting point: Ightham Mote, TN15 0NU (exact location will be sent nearer the time).
Bookings for this tour close at 12pm on Monday 19 June.
Previous events
Wednesday 17 May
Lunchtime Lecture: Jewish Country Houses
Neither metropolitan Jews nor typical English aristocracy, the Jewish owners of grand properties such as Nymans, Waddesdon and Ightham Mote had complicated relationships with British aristocratic ideals. In this introductory session, Abigail Green, professor of Modern European History at the University of Oxford, highlights her leading work on the Jewish Country Houses research project, which seeks to draw attention to the often overlooked Jewish stories within English heritage sites.
1pm (BST). FREE or suggested donation. ONLINE.
Nymans Garden © Flickr/ukgardenphotos
Wednesday 24 May
Day Trip: Nymans
Once home to the Messel family, an Anglo-German banking dynasty, this stunning West Sussex garden is a symbol of Jewish attempts to assimilate into British aristocratic life. On this day trip, we’ll tour the Grade II-listed grounds and mock-medieval manor (some of which lies in ruins). We’ll also enjoy a talk by Professor John Hilary, author of From Refugees to Royalty: The Remarkable Story of the Messel Family of Nymans.
Ticket price includes all entry fees, specialist guides and lunch. Please arrive by 10.45am for an 11am start. If you have any mobility issues, let us know and we can arrange an accessible tour of the garden. If you don’t drive, contact Emma via programming@jewishrenaissance.org.uk and we will arrange a carshare from north London or Burgess Hill station.
10.45am (BST). £65 early bird price until 12pm on 11 May, £72.50 thereafter. Meeting point: Nymans, RH17 6EB (exact location will be sent nearer the time).
Bookings for this tour closed at 12pm on Monday 22 May.
Wednesday 31 May
Lunchtime Lecture: Culture, Politics and Philanthropy in Jewish Country Houses
The heyday of the Jewish country house in the early 20th century came in an age of rising political antisemitism. Though the owners of these grand buildings were part of elite British society, they were still stigmatised and classed as ‘other’ due to their Jewish origins. We’re joined by Dr Thomas Stammers and Dr Jaclyn Granick, co-investigators on the Jewish Country Houses research project, to explore the role these houses played in both the political life of the Jewish elite (nationally and globally) and the sphere of Jewish philanthropic activism, including during World War II and its aftermath.
1pm (BST). FREE or suggested donation. ONLINE.
Wednesday 7 June
Lunchtime lecture: Licoricia of Winchester
Licoricia of Winchester rose from obscurity to become the most successful female financier in early 13th-century England. She was a businesswoman, single mother and a favourite of the royals, her life spanned seven decades and was filled with dramatic highs and tragic lows. In this online lunchtime lecture, author Rebecca Abrams explores the story of Licoricia and the Jews of medieval England, within the context of political unrest and rising antisemitism.
This talk was originally due to take place in person in Winchester, but has been reconfigured for an online audience.
1pm (BST). FREE or suggested donation. ONLINE.
Wednesday 14 June
Lunchtime Lecture: Marc Chagall
Do you know that Marc Chagall designed original stained glass windows for a small country church in Tudeley, Kent? Art historian and Insiders/Outsiders founder Monica Bohm-Duchen provides an introduction to the Jewish artist and his connection to the English countryside in preparation for our Kent trip next week.
1pm (BST). FREE or suggested donation. ONLINE.
