Some of My Best Friends
- Westminster
- 1969
In the East End of London, crowds gather to watch Jewish millionaire Bernhard Baron unveil an important new building
In London's East End, then the heart of Britain's biggest Jewish community, millionaire philanthropist Bernhard Baron lays the foundation stone for a new multi-purpose settlement building. The new centre will provide 'cradle-to-grave' services for local Jewish people, from maternity clinics to youth and sports clubs, a gym, religious instruction, assistance for elderly people and even burial services. It still stands today, but has been converted into flats. Baron died a year later, aged 79.
Tobacco magnate lays foundation of new Jewish settlement in East End of
London.
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.