Welcome:
Thank you for visiting the updated website of the Oxford Jewish Heritage Committee.
The committee consists of a mix of enthusiasts in the field with the support of Hebraists, medievalists and archaeologists, but we are always open to welcoming new expertise and enthusiasts. Contact us if you feel able to contribute: ojh@ojc-online.org
Our aim is to raise the profile of the history of Jews in Oxford from earliest records through to the modern day. The Jews first arrived in Oxford from France in 1070s and soon developed a thriving community in the city and its surrounds. They were expelled from Oxford and England by the proclamation of King Edward 1 in 1290.
Because the University has preserved so much of the historical evidence in documentation, Oxford retains a unique memory of those medieval Jews. Their story has been largely unknown and is described as the ‘Hidden History’. This website, launched in September 2009, is devoted to uncovering this history and offering it to a wider audience.
Highlights include detailed maps of Medieval Jewish Oxford, an Inventory of Hebraica and Judaica in the Oxford Colleges, Blue Plaques for famous Oxford Jews and much more.
Save the page and keep checking for updates (or be notified via www.facebook.com/OxfordJewishHeritage/ as we take you on the journey through Oxford’s Jewish History.Latest News & Articles:
See below for our latest news and articles, click read more to see more detail.
The Silver Video
The Silver Video: As reported in Menorah (summer 2021) the Silver family found an old digital video recording made by George Silver at an Oxford
Future of Bodleian Judaica collection secured by charity donation
Oxford Judaica post endowed by Sir Victor Blank As reported in the Jewish Chronicle 22 January 2021 The gift will support curator’s role for
Oxford Jewish Heritage Facebook page is up live and running. If you are on Facebook then ‘like’ the page and you should be notified whenever
Righting Historic Wrongs – 1222 Synod of Oxford
On the 800th anniversary of the 1222 Council of Oxford, Rebecca Abrams considers its implications for the Jews of England What must medieval Jewish magnate David of
Oxford’s New College – Reuben College
Oxford University has received a landmark £80 million donation from the Reuben Foundation that will transform Oxford’s newest college, initially named Parks College. The college is now set
The Jewish Pointed Hat
How did the pointed hat of European aristocracy become an anti-Jewish Symbol? And was it the forerunner of the modern skullcap? An article in The Librarians an
