Some of My Best Friends
- Westminster
- 1969
Guests step out in smart hats and sumptuous furs for a Jewish wedding at London’s Central Synagogue
A fascinating display of fashion emerges as the wedding party arrive at London’s Central Synagogue on Great Portland Street and leave in a steady stream of taxi cabs. From the eye-catching outfits and flower bouquets to glimpses of the surrounding buildings at the Hallam Street entrance, the footage beautifully captures the sense of a grand celebration. Look out for the excited bridesmaid who can’t stop giggling.
The Central Synagogue was destroyed in a wartime bombing raid in 1941, and rebuilt on the same site in 1958.
This collection uncovers insights, injustices and hidden histories across a century of Jewish life on British screens. It brings together documentary and first-person accounts of Jewish life in the UK, alongside historical dramas and artists’ work exploring the 20th century Jewish experience. The earliest surviving depictions of Jewish characters in British cinema offer a troubling insight into antisemitic representation, yet prejudice was later tackled head-on, with newsreels documenting the anti-fascist movement of the 1930s.
Drop in on joyous family weddings and community gatherings, and see the ways in which UK Jewry supported Jews young and old, and those fleeing persecution, in a selection of fascinating films from the 1900s to the 1980s.
This collection is generously supported by the Neil Kreitman Foundation, Shoresh Charitable Trust, John S Cohen Foundation, and Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation.