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| Garnethill Synagogue, Glasgow |
If you're in the Glasgow area, and have an interest in history (family, local, or international), in architecture or Judaism, this is THE place to visit.
Having recently undergone extensive refurbishment, the
building, which houses the historic Garnethill Synagogue and the Scottish
Jewish Archives Centre, now also includes a Holocaust-era studies centre, all part of the newly-launched Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre.
This, the oldest purpose-built synagogue in Scotland, was designed
by John McLeod of Dumbarton and opened in 1879, although the earliest recorded
Jewish community in Glasgow dates from about 1821. Tours of the synagogue itself have long been a regular
feature of the annual Doors Open Day programme, but today I was honoured to join the first public tour of the revamped
and modernised Heritage Centre.
The synagogue or shul was built for an Orthodox
congregation which it still serves, so the layout of the prayer hall is quite
traditional. The Holy Ark at the east
end is mightily impressive, as are the stained glass windows throughout the entire
building. Our guides explained the
different features, traditions, and significance of each element of the space. It is a beautiful place with a
long and important heritage in both the Jewish and the wider community.
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| Holy Ark, Garnethill Synagogue |
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| Interior, Garnethill Synagogue |
You can read more about the synagogue’s history and
architecture on its website.
Moving downstairs to the newer parts of the Centre, our
guides showed us a fascinating timeline display of Jewish history in Scotland,
starting from the 18th century, illustrated with documents and photographs up
until the present day. We then got to
look at the new Archives Centre, which tantalisingly also had a small bookshop that I
had come totally unprepared for – fortunately it also has a website, which
will likely be inflicting some damage on my credit card shortly.
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| Scottish Jewish Archives Centre |
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| Scottish Jewish Archives Centre |
This is an area where members of the public are welcome to
use the specialist record collections and databases to trace the history of their Jewish families, many of whom
will have been immigrants and, indeed, refugees from European nations during
times of persecution and conflict.
Included is a complete set of the Glasgow-published Jewish Echo newspaper,
a valuable source for family historians. The Archives room also features a display highlighting prominent events and people in the city's Jewish community.
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| Postcard sent by Jewish refugee |
Our final stop for the tour was the newly-created
Holocaust-era studies centre. This houses a small library and study/meeting
room for groups of young people learning important lessons from history about prejudice,
displacement, and inclusion. Using
copies of immigration records, identity cards, letters, and so on, they can see life-changing events
through the eyes of refugees. Especially
in the context of the current upheaval in Afghanistan, it's all the more relevant for students to focus on and understand the causes of the
Holocaust and how to prevent it from happening again.
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| Holocaust Timeline Display, Succah |
This part of the Centre has been created in the Succah,
the area of the synagogue traditionally used to celebrate the harvest festival
of Sukkot. It has been transformed into
a simple but powerful exhibition area, showing in detail the timeline of the
Holocaust, its effects on various groups, and the experiences of those who
escaped to safety in different parts of Scotland. Other displays highlight those
who made this country their home, raised families, and made significant
contributions to society.
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| Glasgow & Ayrshire Jewish Communities Display |
I really appreciated the warm welcome extended by the tour guides, the breadth and depth of their knowledge of the building and its history, and their enthusiasm in explaining their tradition to visitors. I can wholeheartedly recommend the tours which take place weekly and may be booked online. School groups can also book time to visit the Centre as part of topic studies on religion or history.
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| Scottish Jewish Archives Centre |
