The Medieval Canterbury Jewish Community
In the 12th century Canterbury was a major marketplace on an important route to London. During the period when Thomas Becket was martyred and Canterbury became a centre of pilgrimage, the Canterbury Jewish community came into being. By medieval standards, the community was relatively large, numbering about 100 individuals with 20 individual properties by the 13th century. Some of the most important Jewish financiers of the time lived in the city such as Benjamin Ben Meir. In addition it was home to a number of distinguished Jewish scholars such as Rabbi Aaron of Canterbury. It appears that medieval Canterbury had a bet din (rabbinical court) for settling religious questions and disputes as well as a Talmudic academy. In 1241 Magister Aaron of Canterbury (who appears to have been the head of the Canterbury Talmudic academy or a scholar of some erudition) was sent to the Jews’ Parliament at Worcester.
Canterbury Jewry typically formed a loose enclave in the commercial heart of the city, focused on a block of land facing the High Street and backed by Stour Street, Jewry Lane and Whitehorse Lane (an extension of Stour Street). The Jews themselves referred to the area where they lived as Jew’s Street. Their houses were opposite or adjacent to the Royal Exchange (one of the two places in the country where silver and plate could be officially bought and sold). Nearby was the Mint situated near the junction of Stour Street with King's Bridge and High Street, Jewry Lane and Whitehorse Lane.The existence of these organizations shows the commercial importance of this small section of the city adjoining the Jewry. There were also Jewish properties on Best Lane running to the north from the High Street. The Jews enjoyed generally good relations with their neighbours, with the townspeople, and especially with the Cathedral and the
monks who acted as their landlords. While it is true that occasional antisemitic outbreaks occurred during the 13th century, overall they experienced relative peace and security. Like many other communities in England, Canterbury Jews lent money to the towns people as well as country dwellers basing much of their business on the constant influx of people to and from the local markets. In addition Canterbury Jewry appears to have enjoyed a close and profitable relationship with the Cathedral priory. There were many transactions between the Priory and Jewish moneylenders. The Cathedral required large capital sums on a regular basis to fulfil its needs. These included large sums for the conduct of its business at Papal Court, and to pay taxes to both King and Pope. Credit was used to pay for building projects, for example to raise the Priors' Chapel. Among various lenders involved in this project was Benedict the Jew, who lived in Stour Street close to the Royal Exchange. In 1226-7, the Cathedral repaid as much as 24 Marks (excluding interest) that had been held on loan for eight years.
However, contrary to popular assumption Jews were not the only money lenders operating in England. Gentiles did in fact lend money even though the Church tried to restrict the practice.
Lambin Frese, for example, was a gentile money lender who lived close to the Jewry next to the River Stour. In general the Priory tended to use Jews to raise small amounts of capital in coin for use on journeys or to buy provisions at fairs. The Cathedral borrowed most of its larger sums of money in Rome or from various English Christians, rather than from the Canterbury Jews. This is in the context of an economy that was short of coinage where Jews were an important source of hard cash in a money starved era.
The closeness of relations between Canterbury Jews and the Cathedral is illustrated by the events in 1187, when the monks of the Cathedral were in dispute with Archbishop Baldwin over their
right to elect the Archbishop. Baldwin wanted them to submit to his authority; when they refused, they entered into a one and a half year dispute which led to Baldwin besieging the monastery with soldiers in an effort to starve them into submission. However both the town's people and the Jews supported the rebels. The Jews not only smuggled food and drink to the monks, but they even prayed for them.
Yet there were always complaints about financial dealings with Jewish moneylenders. When the monks of St Augustine's Abbey borrowed from the Jews, Pope Alexander III heard of this and exhorted Henry II to protect the holy fraternity from them. Another complaint concerned the Archdeacon of Bath, Peter de Blois. The Archdeacon was six pounds in debt to Sampson, a major figure in Canterbury Jewry. He wrote a begging letter to his close friend the Bishop of Ely, exhorting him to redeem him. He said that he would otherwise have to go urgently to Canterbury, from Bath, 'in order to be crucified by the perfidious Jews' and pleaded with the Archdeacon, that, '...You will remove this cross from me, and take upon yourself the payment of the six pounds that I owe Sampson the Jew, and, by this act, turn my debts into a cause of profound gratitude to you.'
During the 13th century there were several anti-Semitic outbreaks against the Jews in Canterbury. Canterbury Jewry suffered during the Baron's war, when in 1261 both clerics and laymen broke into the houses of Jews, destroying doors and windows with axes and attempting to set fire to the Jewry. Many Jews were violently assaulted and as a result King Henry ordered an enquiry to discover the malefactors.There was a second outrage in 1264, when one of the rebels against the King, Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, captured Canterbury. He went on to sack Jewry perhaps with the main intention of destroying all the evidence of debts. After the Barons' War, the final decline of the Jewry came in earnest and Caleman a local Jew was murdered. Two Jews were
murdered in the shire at Frenningham. Properties were confiscated, and Jewry suffered badly in the coin clipping accusations of 1278. The whole community was temporarily imprisoned in the castle and six of their number were hanged. While they were imprisoned some of the towns' people took the opportunity to seize the goods of the incarcerated Jews. At the end of the century, however, the Jewish Canterbury community along with Jewish communities throughout the country disappeared with the expulsion of Jewry from England.
Modern Jewish Canterbury
For four centuries after their expulsion by Edward I there were almost no Jews resident in England. However under the protectorate of Cromwell, Jews once again settled in various parts of the country. As in the case of other provincial cities, they came to Canterbury in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Initially these Jews used a temporary building in the St Dunstan’s area, but in 1762 a synagogue was erected on St Dunstan’s Street. By this time the congregation had become quite numerous, as was evidenced by the existence of a burial ground. By 1799 the Jewish population had increased considerably.
The building of the synagogue cost approximately £400. The building itself was not very substantial. One ascended by a flight of stairs to enter the synagogue. The basement was used by the congregation as a sort of vestry room as well as for other purposes. The entrance to the building was from a low and miserably narrow, dark passage leading from St Dunstan’s Street.
In November 1845 the Canterbury Jewish community received notice from South Eastern Railway Company that the synagogue would have to be taken down because it stood in the way of the construction of a new railway line At the meeting of the Canterbury Jewish congregation on 10 May 1846 a number of resolutions were passed including the following: ‘An arrangement
having been made with the Director of the South Eastern Railway Company for pulling down and removing the present synagogue, this meeting unanimously declares their opinion that it is highly expedient to take immediate steps for the erection of a new one.’
When the congregation requested the necessary writings and documents in support of the congregation’s claim for compensation, after considerable negotiations it was agreed to pay the Jewish community £125 and to give them the old materials of the synagogue. To pay for the construction of a new building, the members of the congregation contributed liberally. In addition, Jews from the neighbouring towns of Dover, Ramsgate, and Deal offered financial assistance as did Jews living in Manchester, Portsea, Brighton, Plymouth, Sheerness, Dublin and Montego Bay. In addition the community also approached Christian fellow citizens in Canterbury.
On 20 December 1846 the following resolution was adopted: ‘Resolved unanimously that the piece of freehold land situated in King’s Street in the parish of St Alphege in the city of Canterbury…be purchased at the sum of £250 for the purpose of erecting a synagogue and such other works as may be found requisite and that our solicitor be instructed to take the necessary steps for forthwith completing such purchase.’
On 28 December 1846 the materials of the old synagogue were sold by auction for £25, but the congregation retained for use in the new synagogue the reading stand, the four chandeliers, all the seats, and the ark.
On 29 August 1847 bids from builders were opened, and it was revealed that Thomas French Cousins had made the lowest bid of £584. Several days afterwards the President and Secretary of the synagogue signed the necessary papers on behalf of the synagogue, and the builder proceeded to clear and level the ground so that the fist stone could be laid. The Secretary was then
instructed to write to Sir Moses Montefiore to ask if he might agree to lay the cornerstone of the synagogue.
On 8 September 1847 it was decided by the building committee that the laying of the cornerstone should take place on 23 September, and invitations were sent to a wide variety of dignitaries including the Chief Rabbi, the Mayor of Canterbury, magistrates, the Sheriff and members of the Town Council as well as to Jews throughout East Kent and in the large cities. The Rev. Henry Myers, Sir Moses Montefiore’s chaplain, was appointed to preach a sermon, and the Revd. Cohen of Dover was undertook to organise a choir.
The laying of the cornerstone was attended by a large number of Jews and Christians. Early on 23 September 1847 Jewish inhabitants of Dover, Ramsgate and other adjacent town arrived at Canterbury and were received and entertained by their Canterbury co-religionists. Sir Moses Montefiore, who had arrived with his wife the previous evening to stay at the Fountain Hotel, was driven in his carriage to the railway station to await the arrival of the Chief Rabbi.who arrived at 11:45.
He and the Chief Rabbi were then conducted to a room which had been placed at the disposal of the committee by the station master. After a short delay, the Chief Rabbi entered Sir Moses’ carriage and, followed by the carriages of members of the committee, they made their way to the home of Mr Jacobs at 29 Palace Street for lunch. Afternoon prayers were then recited and at their conclusion the Chief Rabbi, Sir Moses and the committee went to the building site. As soon as the Chief Rabbi and Sir Moses had taken their places, Genesis 28:17 was recited after which a psalm was chanted; this was followed by a discourse by Sir Mosers’ chaplain. Psalm 24 was then chanted. After the recitation of the psalm; Sir Moses spoke to the gathering. The laying of the stone then took
place. Sir Moses spread the mortar with a silver trowel, After the service Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, the Chief Rabbi, the major, aldermen, magistrates as well as a large gathering of men and women were entertained at the home of Mr Jacobs.
On 19 September 1848 the consecration ceremony of the new synagogue took place in the presence of a great number of Jews from throughout Kent and a few prominent non-Jews. The synagogue itself was a building in the Egyptian style; its front, in imitation of granite, had a pyramidal form about thirty feet high flanked by two columns with elaborate capitals. The building was twenty-seven feet wide by forty feet long. The doorway was in a deep recess, and the ark was in imitation veined-marble. The columns on each side of the ark were of a lotus leaf design, and over the ark were portions of the decalogue. The stained glass high above the ark contained the following phrase in Hebrew: ’Know before whom thou standest.’ The reading desk was in the centre of the synagogue and immediately over the entrance door was a barred gallery for women supported by obelisks. There were three narrow windows on each side of the ark as well as on the side of the building. On one side of the ark was a prayer for the Royal Family.
Those who were to take a prominent part in the consecration drove to the entrance on King Street in carriages at about 1:00 pm. A procession was then formed and consisted of the Chief Rabbi, Sir Moses Montefiore and other distinguished Jewish figures. When the procession arrived at the doors of the synagogue, the key was presented to Sir Moses on a silver slaver, the doors were then unlocked, and everyone was seated. During the service, the Chief Rabbi preached a sermon before the ark. Alluding to the circumstances which made it necessary to build a new synagogue, he stated that they could now exclaim with Jacob, “How awful is
this place, truly it is the House of God.’ But surely, he noted, it was not the outward pomp or external splendour which made such an impression on them. Rather it was a higher purpose that they had in view. Residents of Canterbury had reared this stately edifice, he stated, so that they might approach near to God, to seek the eye which watched over them, the ear which listened to their sighs, the hand that sustained them.
The euphoria surrounding the consecration of the new synagogue quickly faded as the community settled down to conduct its daily affairs. In 1851 it was agreed that a building to house a ritual bath should be constructed at the cost of £82. 29s, and in August 1853 the Chief Rabbi paid an official visit to inspect this new building. In 1869 the congregation adopted a formal code of laws for the future regulation of the congregation. This included the following regulations:
*The ritual of the synagogue shall be of the Polish rite, and the Chief rabbi shall be regarded as the congregation’s spiritual guide. The time of commencing services shall be as follows: On Sabbath eve and on the eve of the festivals, the tine specified in the Jewish Almanac shall be observed. On Sabbath and Festival mornings the service will begin at 8:00 during the summer months and at 9:00 in the winter. On the evening of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur the service will begin at 6:00, and at other times as the President will direct. If there is no minyan at a service, the reader shall omit the first Kaddish, but he shall continue to read the service in the usual manner.
*All Jewish residents of Canterbury may become seat holders upon payment of a sum of not less than one guinea per person or such sums as the congregation may determine. Those Jews from
other communities who desire to become seat holders must apply for membership at one of the yearly meetings.
*There shall be one annual meeting after Rosh Hashanah to examine the accounts, to elect a President and to deal with any other business.
*The President shall be the custodian of the buildings, grounds, funds, books, writings, scrolls of the Law, as well as any other objects belonging to the congregation.
*The President shall keep a full account of all money received and paid out by him on the congregation’s account. He shall also produce a balance sheet at yearly meetings.
*The President shall help all poor persons who apply to him for aid. The amount of charity shall not exceed five shillings a time, except in unusual cases when he should consult with the congregation.
Despite the attention to the detail of synagogue life, the Canterbury Jewish community began to eclipse, as did the majority of provincial congregations in the later half of the nineteenth century. In the words of Cecil Roth, ‘the period of 1840-1850 is useful as a line of demarcation. The railway era had indeed begun, but its operation was not yet effective…the new economic system had not as yet drawn the Jews away from the country places in which they had established themselves in the second half of the century when (numerous) communities… entered upon, and in some sense cases culminated their age of decay.’ By 1889 the new synagogue had fallen into a terrible state of disrepair; the building and its surroundings had become unkempt and dingy.
In an attempt to revive the flagging spirits of the congregation, it was decided to reconstruct the new synagogue in 1889. The pillars at the entrance were painted, the paths were freshly gravelled and edged, overgrown trees were removed, and the wilderness-like garden was cleared. The reconstruction of the new synagogue took place on Sunday, 10 November 1889 and attracted a full congregation of Jews and visitors.
The reconstruction ceremony was conducted by Revd. I.H. Yellln. Bearing the scrolls of the law, he together with five members of the congregation processed to the door of the synagogue and made their way to the ark as the reader chanted prayers of thanksgiving. After the scrolls were deposited in the ark, the preacher delivered a sermon in which he spoke of the many reasons why the congregation should express gratitude, and he exhorted the community to live as good law-abiding citizens and as loyal subjects of the Queen.
Mr Henry Hart then made a speech about the history of the congregation. Her noted that when Jews were allowed to settle in England, many came to Canterbury where they built a burial ground and a synagogue in St Dunstan’s because they were not permitted a place to worship within the walls, nor were they allowed to reside within the ancient city. The old synagogue had been destroyed because it stood in the path of the railway, and a new synagogue had been constructed in 1848.
Yet efforts to revive the synagogue came to naught. The last minutes of the congregation were recorded in 1896, and by 1911 there were only three Jewish families left in Canterbury. During this period it appears that the synagogue was closed. In October 1913 it was decided that the synagogue should be reopened,. Yet after the war, there was no longer any reason to keep the synagogue open, and in 1931 it was handed over to the Charity
Commissioners. The building was sold, and the amount realised was handed to the Board of Deputies to maintain the burial ground. The same year at a service in Oxford, the Canterbury scrolls were handed over to the Oxford Jewish congregation for safe keeping.
This final act completes the history of the Jews of Canterbury. For the next forty years the community ceased to exist, but the opening of the University of Kent in 1965 revitalised Jewish life in Canterbury. A number of Jewish students organised a University Jewish Society, and in 1975 some of the Jewish lectures, together with a few city families formed a new Jewish community. In 1982 the synagogue was sold to the King’s School which refurbished and redecorated the building in keeping with its original character. The Old Synagogue is now used by the school as a music room. Yet the Jewish community has largely disappeared from Canterbury.
After the Great War Jewish life in Canterbury disintegrated. In 1931 the synagogue was formally closed and handed over to the charity commissioners who sold it and gave the proceeds to the Board of Jewish Deputies to maintain the cemetery. Two Torah scrolls were given to Oxford synagogue on the understanding they would be returned if the congregation was ever reinstated. The former synagogue was used for various secular purposes and it is now maintained as 'The Old Synagogue Recital Room' by the Kings School, Canterbury and was occasionally used for religious services.A new Jewish community re-established itself in Canterbury, largely associated with the creation of the University at Kent in 1965. In 1975 there were sufficient Jews in Canterbury for the community to officially re-establish itself. Yet in recent years the Jewish community has largely disappeared.