From Scotland to Cavaillon (France) and from Dublin to Berlin via Stockholm and Copenhagen, the European Jewish heritage of the North West of Europe offers a variety of examples of the testimony of the life of Jews in that region marked again by their history and the important fluxes of migration of Jewish across the European continent. Following the destruction of the Temple in 70 of the Common Era in Jerusalem, Jews dispersed themselves. Jewish presence has been identified in Germany as early as the year 321 in an Edict of the Emperor Constantine. They then were dispersed across Europe, fleeing persecutions. Let us note for instance, the mass exodus of the Jews of Spain in the 15th Century. Thus, Jewish heritage in this region has been influenced by Ashkenazi as well as Sefardic Jews.

Most of the heritage has been clearly influenced by the Ashkenazi traditions (the region of Alsace in the East of France exceptionally counts no less than 100 Jewish sites) yet a few exceptions remain. Namely the famous synagogues of Cavaillon or Carpentras in the South of France: these remain genuine jewels of French and European history. Carpentras was even classified as a world historical monument in 1924.

Painting - amulett. Alsacian museum of Strasbourg

the netherlands, belgium and germany

Moving northwards, one must mention the famous Jewish heritage in the Netherlands, namely the famous Portuguese synagogue of Amsterdam or the ultimate genuine Western European shtetl (Yiddish word for Jewish village) of Antwerp, which contains a rich Jewish cultural and folkloric Yiddish life with its numerous synagogues, shops and schools.

Synagogue in Berfield, Germany. Photo L.A.

In Germany, despite the destruction caused by the atrocities of the holocaust, the Great Synagogue of Berlin remains, thanks to the brave action of a German policeman who claimed that it was under police protection due to its cultural richness.

Other attractions remain in Germany, namely the deepest mikve (ritual bath) in Friedberg which has 72 steps and is 25 metres deep as well as the Worms synagogue, where the famous Torah commentator, Rabbi Salomon ben Isaac better known under the name of Rachi installed himself around 1060 of the Common Era.

switzerland, scandinavia, the united-kingdom and ireland

In Switzerland, one may note the sole Jewish Museum which is in Basle. This museum hosts documents on the history of Swiss Jews as well as the Zionist Congresses which were held there at the end of the 19th century under the leadership of Theodor Herzl.

Moving eastwards towards Scandinavia, one should mention the rich Jewish heritage in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki. One should also discover the Synagogue of Trondheim in Norway which is the most northern synagogue of the world as well as having been the only synagogue to have been for a time a station.

Synagogue in Stockholm, Sweden

On the other side of the Channel, the Jewish presence in the United Kingdom and Ireland dates from William the Conqueror in 1066 who encouraged Jews, usually merchants and artisans, to follow him on the island. Much legacy remains: London hosts a number of historical synagogues, Liverpool, further North, is the home to one of the most beautiful synagogues of Britain. The Synagogue founded on 3rd September 1874 has been decorated in particular late Victorian style.

Finally in Ireland, one may retain the peak presence of Jews as being at the end of the 19th Century particularly in Dublin but also in most of the big Irish towns namely Limerick, Dublin and Belfast. The Ballybough cemetery of Dublin, where no one has been buried since 1908, remains.