Jews' College
Encyclopedia
Origins and Remit Today
Jews' College, now known as the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS), was opened in Finsbury SquareFinsbury Square
Finsbury Square is a square in central London. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's and near Moorfields. It is sited on the east side of City Road, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a rabbinical seminary in 1855 with the support of Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
Nathan Adler
Nathan Marcus Adler
Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler was the Orthodox Chief Rabbi of the British Empire from 1845 until his death, probably the most prominent 19th century rabbi in the English-speaking world.-Life:...
and of Sir Moses Montefiore, who had conceived the idea for such a venture as early as 1841.
In the modern era it has retained the support of the Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, who states that: "LSJS is part of a treasured tradition more valuable than jewels and more enduring than any precious metal. That is why my deepest commitment to any institution in Anglo-Jewry is to LSJS".
Growth
The college quickly established itself as a place where high quality rabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nical training was available and its alumni and staff often became prominent in Anglo-Jewry
Many leading figures in British Jewry have been associated with the College, including Michael Friedländer
Michael Friedländer
Michael Friedländer was an Orientalist and principal of Jews' College, London. He is best known for his English translation of Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed, which was the most popular such translation until the more recent work of Shlomo Pines, and still remains in print.Friedländer was...
, Principal from 1865 to 1907; Isidore Epstein
Isidore Epstein
This article is about the distinguished rabbinical scholar. For the noted astronomer of a similar name see: Isadore Epstein Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein , was an Orthodox rabbi and rabbinical scholar in England, who served as the longtime principal of Jews' College, London. Ezekiel Isidore Epstein...
, Principal 1948–1961; Louis Jacobs
Louis Jacobs
Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs was a Masorti rabbi, the first leader of Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom, and a leading writer and thinker on Judaism...
, Moral Tutor 1959–1961; and in recent years Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
, Principal 1984–1990.
First move
In 1881, the College moved to larger premises in Tavistock SquareTavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden with a fine garden.-Public art:The centre-piece of the gardens is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was installed in 1968....
, close to University College
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where it was envisaged that Jews’ College students would be able to combine their religious studies and university sudies to degree level. As early as 1904, the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
granted an Honours degree in Hebrew and Aramaic, all of the candidates being from Jews’ College.
Second move
In 1932, with the building of Woburn House, a centre for Anglo-Jewry, still in Tavistock Square, Jews' College moved again.During the Second World war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, despite the bombing of London, the College kept its doors open. Apart from the rabbinical studies and degree course, Chazzanut courses and teacher training programmes were now offered.
Fourth move and change of name
The building in central London was sold and the College operated from temporary premises at Finchley Synagogue for a number of years, under the leadership of Rabbi Dr Nachum Rabinovitch. Under the auspices of Rabbi Dr Jonathan SacksJonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
and with the financial backing of Stanley Kalms, Chairman of Dixons, the College relocated to its current building, now known as Schaller House, in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, North-West London, close to the hub of London’s Jewish community in the 1980s.
In 1998, the University of London announced that it would be terminating the "Associated Institute" status that the College and three other small institutions enjoyed. Jews' College was forced to seek an academic partner within the University in order to be able to continue its degree programmes. Without the freedom to determine its own curriculum and the financial security that came from student fee income, it became increasingly difficult for the College - known since 1999 as the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) - to survive in its previous form. Rabbinic training was also uneconomic as many able students looked to the Torah centres of Israel and America for their education and the number of available rabbinic posts in the UK decreased.
In 2002, the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(SOAS) decided to terminate its relationship with LSJS, precipitating a crisis which was nearly fatal. A small team of young community leaders and educators, led by the late Marc Weinberg, presented the then Chair of Council, Howard Stanton, with a radical proposal to use the human and financial resources available to refocus the School's activities and to secure a vibrant future as hub of academic study and lifelong learning, catering to a wide spectrum of the community and attracting world-class Rabbis and educators.
Under the leadership of Dr Raphael Zarum and Dr Tamra Wright, LSJS has welcomed hundreds of students to a wide range of academic courses and events.
Further reading
- Isidore Harris (1906), History of Jews' College : November 11th 1855 – November 10th 1905 London: Luzac & Co.