Willesden Jewish Cemetery recognised by Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe
New milestone in development of north London's Grade II listed Victorian garden burial ground
Willesden Jewish Cemetery has been formally recognised as a ‘significant cemetery’ by the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe.
The north London burial ground now joins a network of more than 200 recognised sites across Europe, including Highgate Cemetery, the final resting place of numerous notable figures including Karl Marx, Christina Rosetti, George Elliot and George Michael, and Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris where Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin and Molière are buried.
Established in 1873, Willesden Jewish Cemetery is one of the most important Jewish burial grounds in the UK and the final resting place for notable figures including DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin, Tesco founder Jack Cohen, film director Michael Winner and members of the Rothschild family.
From religious leaders and philanthropists to artists and everyday community members, it serves as a living social record of migration, settlement and the enduring contribution of the Jewish community to British life.
Miriam Marson, head of heritage at Willesden Jewish Cemetery, said: “This acknowledgement reflects not only the historical importance of the site, but also the work we are doing to open it up as a space of learning, reflection and community engagement.”
WJC’s House of Life Heritage Centre offers exhibitions, guided walks, school programmes and digital interpretation exploring themes of identity, memory and migration.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
