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The Scottish Jewish Archive Centre

Address: Garnethill Synagogue, 127 Hill St,
Glasgow, G3 6UB.
Tel: 0141 332 4911
Housed in the beautifully ornate Garnethill Synagogue (Scotland’s
oldest, completed in 1879) in the centre of Glasgow, The Scottish Jewish
Archive Centre is the country’s foremost centre of information and
research dedicated to Jewish life, heritage and culture. The centre was
founded in 1987 and chronicles the Jewish Diaspora to Scotland since the
17th Century and illustrates how Jewish communities were formed and their
contributions to Scottish society through generations.
The Scottish Jewish Archive Centre encapsulates the whole spectrum of the
Scottish Jewish Community, highlighting were significant communities established,
the various Jewish organisations and enterprises that existed and still
to this day. Not only serving its purpose as a visitor attraction, the centre
is also significant cultural and educational resource, containing vast records
of data and information. It is also the first port of call for tracing Jewish
families in Scotland.
The Archives Centre is home to a series of exhibits and displays pertaining
to the roots of Scotland’s most significant Jewish communities in
both Glasgow and Edinburgh, including photographs of immigrants arriving
in Scottish ports and stations from Continental Europe and a host of religious
related artefacts, giving visitors an introspective insight into the faith.
Arguably the most significant exhibit in the centre is the ‘Jews of
The Gorbals’, once the most populous Jewish community in Scotland
from the 17th Century until the early 20th. The Centre also charts on the
sense of community spirit and altruism in Jewish neighbourhoods across Scotland,
with the establishment of organisations devoted to the welfare of the community
at large.
Those wishing to trace ancestors and Jewish families living in Scotland
before the Second World War, the Scottish Jewish Archive Centre is an invaluable
resource, home to a large database referencing accurate demographic information
from over 70 sources ranging from synagogue registers, school lists, naturalisations
to death registers. This large database contains a series of useful information
on over 23,000 Jews living in Scotland before the outbreak of the Second
World War.
The Scottish Jewish Archive Centre is conveniently situated in the cultural
quarter of Garnethill, walking distance from Sauchiehall Street and near
to Glasgow School of Art. Admire the opulence and architectural features
of Scotland’s oldest Synagogue, preserved as a Grade ‘A’
listed building prior to your experience at this highly informative centre
of cultural excellence. The Centre is opened on Friday mornings and one
Sunday of every month and is by appointment only. To arrange a visit to
the centre, please contact the reception directly on 0141 332 4911.
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