Jewish History weekend brings medieval London back to life
Jewish Square Mile launches festival to explore lives of the Jewish community that settled in the capital by 1068 until their expulsion two centuries later
Beneath the Barbican lies one of medieval London’s largest burial grounds: the long forgotten cemetery of England’s earliest Jewish community. From 8 to 10 May 2026, the Jewish Square Mile Foundation is bringing that world back to life through a weekend of events across the City.
The History Weekend opens on Friday 8 May at Bakers’ Hall, home of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, with the first public demonstration of traditional challah making in the City of London and culminates on Sunday 10 May with a one day History Festival at the Barbican Arts Centre.
The events form part of a growing programme to restore the Jewish medieval community to its proper place in the history of London. The project began with a question posed by Fr Jack Noble, Rector of St Giles Cripplegate, about a long obscured Jewish cemetery near Aldersgate and has since developed into a major programme of public engagement.
Including in person and live streaming talks with leading historians, walking tours and a family programme developed with the Jewish Museum, the festival will explore the lives of the Jewish community that settled in London by 1068 and lived in the City for over two centuries until the Expulsion of 1290.
Keen to challenge “enduring assumptions about medieval Jewish life”, Howard Morris, chair of the Jewish Square Mile Foundation, said: “By the late eleventh century, these were already Londoners, a diverse community of immigrants who sought to live in peace alongside their neighbours whenever they could, and who contributed to the growth of the early City. In 1267, they even took up arms to defend it. That is a story we think deserves to be better known.”
Chris Hayward, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, said: “These events will bring to life the deep and often overlooked Jewish history of the City of London, helping more people understand the Square Mile’s diverse heritage and the communities who shaped it over many centuries.
Gaby Morris, trustee of the Jewish Square Mile Foundation, said: “Bread has a way of bringing people together. To be making challah, openly and in good company, in the City for the first time feels rather special. It is a simple act, but one that speaks to continuity, resilience and community.”
During Jewish Culture Month, from 16 May to 16 June, the Foundation’s exhibition will be on display at the London Archives.
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