The Oxford Jewish Heritage Committee was established by The Oxford Jewish Congregation (OJC) in autumn 2006.
That summer Oxford WIZO had run a children’s’ summer camp (kaytana) on the subject of Medieval Jewish Oxford. The historical background to the camp program had been based on Cecil Roth’s book The Jews of Medieval Oxford published in 1951. It became increasingly obvious to a new generation that Oxford’s Jewish heritage was a rich yet largely hidden entity (“Invisible in Oxford: The ‘Public Face’ of Medieval Jewish History in Modern England”).
On Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) one of the kaytana organisers delivered an address to the congregation challenging them to raise the profile of Oxford Jewish History. The Heritage Committee and more recently this website were set up as a consequence. The original committee members have been supported and joined by several historians in this field.
The 2020 Oxford Jewish Heritage Committee
The Committee meets during the Coronavirus Pandemic by Zoom. This image taken April 2020.
In alphabetical order the committee consists of:
Rebecca Abrams: Author of The Jewish Journey and creative writing tutor, Oxford University
Glenda Abramson: Professor Emerita of Hebrew and Jewish Studies and Co-Chair
Victoria Bentata Azaz: Green Badge Oxford Tour Guide and author of Oxford City Walks
Jesmond Blumenfeld: Retired Economist & University Lecturer
Jessica Feinstein: Qualified genealogist and genealogy teacher.
Evie Kemp: Public Health Physician and Original Chair
Pam Manix: Retired Architect and Medieval Historian
Kathy Shock: Artist, garden designer and Jewish studies teacher and Co-Chair
Michael Ward: Retired Anaesthetist, Oral Historian & Webmaster