DIRECTORY – of Local Jewish Facilities and Services…
HISTORY – of Jewish Birmingham and the West Midlands…
WELCOME – to Jewish Birmingham and the West Midlands
Thank you for visiting Jewish West Midlands, the Jewish Representative Council of Birmingham and West Midlands, is an umbrella body which comprises all the different organisations found in the community. The section contains information about Jewish life in the West Midlands and it is hoped that this will be a valuable source of information for everyone – visitors, people considering coming to live in the area, students at the various universities, members of the community and those just interested in the community here.
Information and contact details are listed in the DIRECTORY for the synagogues, Birmingham Jewish Community Care, the King David School, the kosher Deli, communal security, student accommodation and support, as well as all the other societies and fundraising groups active in the community. We hope you will find it a useful and informative resource.
This website includes access to the Birmingham Jewish Recorder – a publication which recorded (in print, on a monthly basis), life in Jewish Birmingham and the West Midlands, through from November 1935 to its last edition in print, December 2021. These archive editions are being scanned and made available through the Archive section. From January 20022 the Recorder has continued with an online presence, the basis of this site, in the form of a monthly online magazine. Details for current annual subscription (which included archive access) on the HOME page.
Our Community – Jews have lived in Birmingham since 1730 and the history of the community can be found HERE. Today the Birmingham and the West Midlands Jewish Community which embraces Solihull, Wolverhampton and Coventry is medium sized by UK standards (the fifth largest in the UK) and is very active, vibrant and dedicated with around 2,000 members. It is because our community is not as large as those in London, Manchester and Leeds, that everyone counts and everyone is counted. There are many opportunities for individuals to actively involve themselves in maintaining and developing the quality of Jewish religious, social, educational and cultural life. Our community is renowned as one of the most hospitable in Great Britain and there are a number of support networks from cradle to old age, which enable people to enrich their lives in a range of domains.
‘Jew’els in our Crown – The community is proud of the King David Primary School which is attended by the community’s children as well as those from a number of other faith communities, all of whom benefit from the school’s Jewish religious education curriculum as well as lessons in modern Hebrew (Ivrit) combined with a high standard of secular education. Another jewel in our crown is Birmingham Jewish Community Care whose social work team is on hand to assist members of the community who are facing difficulties, whilst a third jewel is Birmingham Hillel House, the biggest and most successful residential Hillel in the country. A fourth jewel is this publication- the Recorder- a community magazine produced by and for the community to a high professional standard.
In the West Midlands there are 3 orthodox synagogues – 2 in Birmingham and 1 in Solihull, and 1 Progressive Synagogue in Birmingham. Whilst each synagogue maintains its own distinct characteristics, the congregations interact where appropriate and contribute to make a harmonious community overall. A kosher shop Central Deli, can be found at Central Synagogue. It stocks a good range of meat, bread, delicatessen, prepared foods etc and is used by all sections of the community. There is a community mikvah overseen by Rabbi Pink.
The City of Birmingham – Birmingham is the second largest city in Great Britain with a total multicultural population of over a million people. It boasts a great number of educational, social, sports and other leisure and entertainment facilities including the world famous Symphony Hall, the National Indoor Arena, the National Exhibition Centre as well as allegedly more canals than Venice. The renowned Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Childrens Hospital amongst others in the city, provide superb healthcare and an excellent teaching base. The City’s Universities are very popular due to the location of the campuses, the high standard of teaching and the quality of research. Birmingham’s local education authority has a large number of successful schools across the city whilst the 11+ examination offers the opportunity to gain a place at the city’s Grammar schools and of course there a number of private schools to choose from as well. The iconic Bullring shopping centre is one of many in and around the city, which together with a wide range of bars, clubs and restaurants, theatres and cinemas attract many of the city’s residents as well as tourists, through their doors. It is one of the most thriving commercial centres in Great Britain with a range of businesses and professions providing a large number of opportunities for work.
Affordable Accommodation – It is possible to find a range of prices for flats and houses from relatively inexpensive to expensive and exclusive in some of the different areas where the majority of the Jewish people live; the City centre, Edgbaston, Harborne, Moseley, Selly Park, Hall Green and the adjacent town of Solihull, which is 9 miles from Birmingham’s city centre, less than half an hour’s drive. There are of course other areas in the vicinity which offer both cheaper and more expensive residential property.
Rest assured that we are actively striving to attract more Jewish brothers and sisters to join us and to settle here. Could this be YOU and your family and friends? Come on, give us a try – we shall welcome you with open arms.
We are waiting to hear from you and will do all we can to help with any query.
Ruth Jacobs
Chairman, Jewish Representative Council of Birmingham & West Midlands
DIRECTORY – of Local Jewish Facilities and Services…
HISTORY – of Jewish Birmingham and the West Midlands…
