LONDON
ART
Austrian Cultural Forum
Painting Sculpture: Sophie Barber & Franz West
Sophie Barber created a series of smalls-scale works referencing the name and art of Austrian Jewish sculptor Franz West, inspire by his pink outdoor sculptures shown at the 2019 Tate Modern retrospective. West, one of Austria’s most celebrated artists, was known for his unique aesthetic portraying both high and low reference points and privileged social interactions.
No end date specified
SW7 1PQ. 020 7225 7300. https://acflondon.org
Ben Uri
Franciszka Themerson: Stories from the Life
See the variety of techniques used by Polish Jewish artist Franciszka Themerson, who studied at Warsaw’s School of Fine Art in the 1920s before coming to London. Her earlier works, predominantly of interiors and the activities taking place within them offer rich, vibrant colour and are a stark contrast to her later pieces, which are monochromatic drawings of landscapes. Two never-before-exhibited oil paintings are shown alongside examples of Themerson’s pre- and post-war pieces. Find out more about Franciszka Themerson in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
Until 23 May
Paula Rego
One of the most significant figurative artists of her generation, Portuguese creative Paula Rego used her provocative works to draw on childhood memories, feminist themes and political events reflecting her Portuguese roots and the broader human condition. This exhibition offers a tribute to her legacy and cements her status as a modern master.
11 June – 24 October
US to UK: The American Contribution to 20th-Century British Art
A selection of works tracing the journeys of Jewish artists from the US to the UK. This is Ben Uri’s second installation of the initiative, US: From There to Here, which uses artwork to document the contribution of migrants to British art.
17 September - 31 October
NW8 0RH. 020 7604 3991. www.benuri.org.uk
Isokon Gallery
Through a Bauhaus Lens: Edith Tudor-Hart and Isokon
See recently uncovered prints that document the historic construction and opening of Belsize Park’s Isokon Flats, Britain's first reinforced concrete residency. The images were taken by Viennese Bauhaus-trained photographer Edith Tudor-Hart who, during her time in the UK, moonlighted as a spy-handler for the Soviets. It’s thought that she worked with the Cambridge Five – and recruited one of its most famous members, Kim Philby – as when the group was exposed, she destroyed much of her work. A cache of her negatives from the 1930s has been discovered in Salzburg, however, including these Isokon photographs.
Until 26 October 2025
NW3 2XD. www.isokongallery.co.uk
JW3
Pitch Up: The Cockney Yiddish Podcast
The Jewish Museum London may have closed its physical doors, but the organisation has been hosting a series of pop-up stalls. This ‘Pitch Up’ at JW3 provides further insight into each episode of The Cockney Yiddish Podcast, a seven-part series by Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs. See objects and images connected to themes on the podcast, including language, theatre, humour and politics. If you haven’t already heard it, stream the series at cockneyyiddish.org.
Until 11 July
NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
MCC Museum, Lord’s Cricket Ground
Cricket and the Jewish Community
This exhibition shows, for the first time, how Jewish people have contributed to the world of cricket. See clothing, artwork, books and videos exploring how Jews, who have been both on the field and behind the scenes, have not only represented their countries, but also been pivotal in the development of the sport.
No end date specified
NW8 8QN. 020 7616 8595. www.lords.org
Museum of the Home
Rooms Through Time: Real Rooms
Museum of the Home, east London’s ode to how humans have lived throughout the centuries, has renovated its long-running exhibit with seven new additions that reflect the multicultural melting pot of London’s residents. Among them, is the Delinsky family home – a 1913 tenement room portraying Shabbat dinner, with simmering lokshen soup on the stove and an oil painting on the wall. The painting was based on a well-worn photo that the donor’s great-grandmother used to carry with her and the artwork was commissioned by her husband, an art dealer who filled their home with portraits. The pair met in the UK after the great-grandmother fled antisemitic violence in Eastern Europe.
From 17 July
E2 8EA. 020 7739 9893. www.museumofthehome.org.uk
Park Lane
Visitor V
British Jewish artist David Breuer-Weil’s new installation, featuring two resin-bronze feet sticking upwards out of the ground, explores the theme of ‘outsiders’. Located opposite the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, Visitor V represents a person ‘crash-landed’, having arrived from a distant land and culture. This follows his 2023 sculpture SISTER, in tribute to his sibling. Read more about SISTER on the JR blog.
Until December
W1K 1QA. www.davidbreuerweil.com
Royal Academy of Art
Kiefer / Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh had an enduring influence on painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, whose work often addresses post-war Germany’s reckoning with the Holocaust. See works by both artists side by side and examine traces of van Gogh’s technique in Kiefer’s pieces, which draw on history, mythology, literature, philosophy and science.
28 June-26 October
W1J 0BD. www.royalacademy.org.uk
Tate St Ives
Artist Rooms: Sol LeWitt
Influential in establishing the notion of ‘conceptual art’ in the 1960s, Jewish American artist Solomon ‘Sol’ LeWitt produced highly colourful, sprawling wall pieces. For example, Wall Drawing #1136 (2004) weaves together seven vibrant colours to create an enveloping chromatic environment.
No end date specified
TR26 1TG. www.tate.org.uk
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
The Brady Club: A Legacy for the Future
Established in 1896, The Brady Club was a Jewish youth group that enhanced the lives of largely underprivileged young people. Today, the Brady Arts and Community Centre, which is housed in the original Brady Girls Club building in central London, continues the legacy of this work but has fallen victim to funding cuts. In a bid to encourage future sponsorship, the organisation presents this exhibition featuring old club magazines, holiday albums, games, music and dressing up.
Until 21 June
E1 4DQ. www.ideastore.co.uk
Wiener Holocaust Library
The Blumenfeld Family: An International Tracing Service Case Study
Examine the background of the Blumenfeld family, the owners of one of the most famous German Jewish travelling circuses of the 20th century. The circus was kept alive through the generations since first touring in 1811. Only one member of the family is known to have survived past 1951 – Jeanette – and this exhibition is the result of her great-granddaughter’s enquiry into the International Tracing Service in 2023, which conducts research for those looking into the fates of their loved ones following the Holocaust.
Until 1 June
Traces of Belsen
After liberation in 1945, Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was left as little more than a mass grave. The Nazis destroyed all of its records and the British Army was forced to burn down barracks to eradicate disease. What remains today stands as a memorial site and museum, but certain materials were recovered in archaeological digs and from descendants of survivors. This exhibition, which marks 80 years since the end of World War II, uses photographs and documents to explore the history and post-war life of the site.
Until 10 July
WC1B 5DP. 020 7636 7247. www.wienerlibrary.co.uk
Monday 19 May
Hollywood’s Unofficial Film Corps: American Jewish Moviemakers and the War Effort
Michael Berkowitz (University College London) examines Jewish Hollywood’s involvement in shaping US public opinion during World War II in his new book. Hollywood’s Unofficial Film Corps: American Jewish Moviemakers and the War Effort shows how movies, while addressing racism and antisemitism in the United States, shied away from focusing on the fate of European Jews.
6.15pm. FREE. London location provided upon booking. www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-jewish-studies
Monday 19 May
Vanishing Vienna
Frances Tanzer discusses her newest book, which touches on Vienna’s reliance on antisemitism and philosemitism (the positive attitude or interest in the Jewish people) and the discourse between the two in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Vanishing Vienna shows especially how philosemitism, although problematic, defined the city in an era of post-war reconstruction.
6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE & Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Thursday 22 May
Burning Pslams: Confronting Adonai After Auschwitz
Menachem Rosensaft’s recent book draws on his personal and scholarly insights into faith, memory and resilience in the aftermath of the Holocaust. He appears in conversation with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg to explore Jewish identity, post-Holocaust spirituality and the revival of hope amidst the overwhelming feeling of loss following the atrocities.
6pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Thursday 22 May
Abraham: The First Jew
Anthony Julius’s new book shines a light on one of the foundational Jewish figures. Abraham: The First Jew touches on the Akedah (The Binding) – the biblical story of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac in order to receive a miracle – and the unresolvable, overwhelming crisis this provoked. Julius discusses his work with Rabbi Michael Pollak (Yad Vashem UK), exploring the underlying struggles of scepticism, faith, autonomy and dependence hidden within the early days of Judaism.
7pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Tuesday 3 June
Photography and Resistance
Writer, academic and photographer Janina Struk discusses the use of camerawork during the Holocaust in her new book. Photography and Resistance explores why prisoners took pictures of the atrocities, how the images are interpreted and whether the engagement with said photos has honoured those who risked their lives to secure them. Following Germany’s defeat, the pictures were used as evidence in wartime trials, for example, those from Birkenau concentration camp were used to convict Rudolf Höss, the former commandant of Auschwitz.
6.30pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Tuesday 10 June
Home, Migration and Food!
Iraqi artist Linda Dangoor launches her second cookbook. From the Tigris to the Thames features personal memoir entries and recipes, reflecting on the idea of home and belonging. The session includes an interview, Q&A, book signing and tasters.
7.30pm. £20. ONLINE & JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Wednesday 11 June
The Scattered Library
Magnus Hirschfeld was a pioneering LGBTQ+ rights activist whose Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin was raided and books burnt by the Nazis. Hans Soetaert’s new book, The Scattered Library, reports what happened in the three years before Hirschfeld died and the years that followed. Soetaert’s book is also the first biography on Karl Giese, Hirschfeld’s life partner, and Karl Fein, a Czech lawyer and fellow activist.
6.30pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Wednesday 11 June
Jewish Odesa
Dr Marina Sapritsky-Nahum talks about her latest book, which focuses on the complex history of Jewish communities in Odesa. She explores how Jews have shown resilience and compliance amidst conflict, adapting to a rapidly changing world despite being deeply rooted in the cosmopolitan heritage of their city. Read more about Jewish Odesa in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
7pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Monday 16 June
Olga Lengyel: Auschwitz Survivor – Interdisciplinary Explorations
A panel of academics talk about Hungarian Holocaust survivor Olga Lengyel, who wrote a memoir about her imprisonment in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The testimony she shares prompts discussion on how the remembering and telling of individuals’ experiences changes through time. Followed by light refreshments for in-person guests.
6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE & Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Tuesday 17 June
Totalitarian Dreams and Real Nightmares
Historian Lyndsey Stonebridge and filmmaker Amanda Rubin discuss their books, which focus on two women who experienced totalitarianism first-hand. Rubin’s The Third Reich of Dreams gives insight into how terror and propaganda is internalised, infiltrating our dreams, while Stonebridge’s We Are Free to Change the World illuminates the life and work of German historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt. German journalist Charlotte Beradt, the subject of Rubin’s book, began recording the dreams of her and her friends shortly after Hitler came to power. She also had a connection to Arendt, for whom she worked as a translator in the 1950s and mistress to Arendt’s husband.
6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE & Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Wednesday 25 June
The Jewish Pedlar Trope and the 20th Century
In the 1700s, a pedlar called Jacob Harris slit the throats of three people in a Sussex pub, which was, to this day, the most violent crime ever committed by a British Jew. Dr Tony Kushner discusses his new book, The Jewish Pedlar Trope and the 20th century, which uses law records, newspaper reports, songs and folktales to reconstruct the world of Jewish salespeople-turned-smugglers within the UK and internationally.
6.30pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
BOOKS & POETRY
Wednesday 25 June
JW3 Comedy Club
Sit back and relax as Jewish (and Jew-ish) comedians take to the stage with jokes, improvisation and stand-up performances.
7.30pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Saturday 5 July
Ian Stone is Looking for the Wow
Ian Stone is sick of the daily humdrum, he wants to be dazzled. He’s thought about exploring breathtaking forests, but “my ancestors wandered the desert for 40 years, I think we’ve been outdoors enough”, he stubbornly states in his press release. And spirituality is a no-go (“I’ve been harbouring a grudge against God since my mother stopped me going to see Arsenal play after my bar mitzvah”). So, what will wow this wry London comic? Join Stone as he attempts to find out.
Contact venue for price/time. Stoke Park, Guildford, GU1 1ER. www.guilfest.co.uk
Tuesday 8 July
Ian Stone is Looking for the Wow
See above for info.
7.30pm. From £16. Walthamstow Trades Hall, E17 4RQ. www.ianstonecomedian.co.uk
Thursday 24 July
Michael Shafar: Inappropriate
The Aussie Jewish comedian is double-dipping this season. Not only is he performing last year’s sell-out show Well Worth the Chemo (9.30pm at Kick Ass Cowgate), a darkly humorous take on losing a testicle, he’s got a new set on the go. As the title suggests, Inappropriate isn’t for the faint-hearted. Shafar will be tackling the hard topics, from abortion rights to assassinating politicians to the Middle East – and this is coming from the man who compared the Queen to Hitler. You have been warned.
6pm. Prices vary. The Top Secret Comedy Club, WC2B 5PD. www.michaelshafar.com
Thursday 24 July
Tova Leigh: Honey, I'm Losing It!
What is the secret to a healthy marriage? Tova Leigh, bestselling Israeli author and comic thinks she has the answer. Her stand-up show leaves nothing to the imagination, delving into taboo topics such as c-section shelves and the death of her libido.
8pm. From £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
COMEDY
Tuesday 27 – Wednesday 29 May
Sadeh Farm Spring Day Camp
Children (aged 8-11) are invited to explore Jewish tradition while immersing themselves in the beauty of nature at Sadeh Farm’s spring camp. Featuring animal feeding, educational farming sessions, games, craft activities, fire building, marshmallow toasting and riding on a zip line.
10am. £10/day. Sadeh Farm, Skeet Hill House, BR6 7QA. www.sadehfarm.co.uk
Sunday 1 June
Erev Shavuot
Bring in Shavuot, the celebration of the harvest and giving of the Torah, with a service, dinner and studying into the night (tikkun leil). Featuring keynote speaker Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of London.
6.30pm. Price TBC. Westminster Synagogue, SW7 1BX. www.westminstersynagogue.org
Sunday 6 July
A Season to Sing
Jewish choir Alyth Choral Society presents A Season to Sing, led by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, featuring a new version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Psalm 118 by composer Julian Dawes. Refreshments provided.
7.30pm. £20. North Western Reform Synagoge, NW11 7EN. www.alythchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Sunday 14 September
Islington Torah Inauguration
Chabad Islington is celebrating the inauguration of a new Torah dedicated in memory of Jewish lawyer and human rights activist Julian Young. The scroll will be paraded through the streets in a grand procession complete with music and festivities, followed by a feast. Those who wish to write the final letters into the Torah using a quill and ink can do so for an additional cost of £180.
11am. FREE. Chabad Islington, N1 8HX. www.jewishislington.co.uk
family
Until Sunday 18 May
Riefenstahl
Delve into the life and work of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century, in this new documentary by director Andres Veiel. Best known for creating Nazi propaganda films in the 1930s, Riefenstahl’s work glorified Hitler and his followers, leading to her being dubbed a Nazi sympathiser. Despite all this, she maintained that she’d been unaware of the Holocaust and its atrocities.
6pm. From £14, £11.50 concs. Cine Lumiere, SW7 2DW. www.institut-francais.org.uk
Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 May
October 8
The current Israel-Hamas war was the catalyst for a huge wave of global antisemitism. This new documentary, executively produced by and starring actress Debra Messing, focuses on the negativity and hatred that has arisen towards Jewish people in the US, particularly on college campuses. The film also features historian Deborah Lipstadt, technology executive Sheryl Sandberg and Israeli activist Noa Tishby.
6.40pm. From £20. Phoenix Cinema, N2 9PJ. www.ukjewishfilm.eventive.org
Monday 9 June
Outsider. Freud
Yair Qedar’s new film spotlights psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, looking at how his experience of being a Jew in Vienna during Hitler’s rise shaped his theories and personal life. Real life footage, surreal animation and insights from fellow psychiatrists are combined in this documentary to reveal a new angle on Freud’s legacy. This screening takes place at Freud’s final home in Hampstead, and will be followed by a Q&A with Qedar.
6.30pm. From £10. Freud Museum, NW3 5SX. www.freud.org.uk
Monday 30 June
Sleeping with the SS
Ziko, a nine-year-old orphan from Salonica, joins a group of Greek Jews hiding from the horrors of the Holocaust on Pelion Mountain. The peace is disturbed when a Nazi SS Unit, intent on deporting the Jewish people to Auschwitz, arrives to set up their headquarters and demand to lodge with them. Discover this remarkable true story in Rami Kimchi’s film, which is being shown for the first time in the UK. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
7.30pm. £16.50. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
FILM AND TV
MUSIC
Sunday 18 May
70 Years of the Zemel Choir
Celebrate 70 years of the Zemel Choir in this evening of song and sentiment. The ensemble embraces Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Yiddish and Israeli tradition, while also incorporating new music from contemporary composers. Refreshments provided.
5pm. £35. North Western Reform Synagogue, NW11 7EN. www.zemelchoir.org
Thursday 29 May
Oi Va Voi
British klezmer stalwarts Oi Va Voi celebrate their new album, The Waters Edge, with a European tour. Their extensive setlist of both old and new material is packed with sounds, melodies and stories rooted in Jewish and European musical tradition.
7.30pm. From £22. Bush Hall, W12 7LJ. www.bushhallmusic.co.uk
Sunday 25 May
JMI Youth Big Band
Original compositions from the JMI Youth Big Band, a group of young musicians aged 11-19, who infuse Jewish music into jazz and other contemporary sounds. Led by composer and musician Sam Eastmond.
12.30pm. £12, £8 concs. Jamboree Kings Cross, WC1X 9HH. www.jmi.org.uk
Thursday 12 June
The Piano Player of Budapest
Jewish pianist Stephen de Bastion spent his youth in Hungary in the 1930s, living a life of fame, romance and music, before he was caught up in the Holocaust and his world collapsed. Playing his own piano, which has been in the family for over a century, his granddaughter Roxanne exposes the unimaginable horror her grandfather endured through forced labour camps. She draws on his recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents and uses music to revive her family’s history.
7pm. £15. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Sunday 29 June
Celebrating Anthony Newley
West End actors take to the JW3 stage to celebrate the life and works of Jewish musician Anthony Newley, who was responsible for a slew of hits including ‘Goldfinger’ and the score for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
7.30pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Thursday 10 July
TamaRadah
Singer-songwriter TamaRadah uses her personal experience of immigrating to Israel from Ethiopia as a child in her music. Fusing Israeli folk music with African-Caribbean grooves, the Rimon School of Music graduate explores the heritage of Ethiopian music through her performance.
7.30pm. £16. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Tuesday 30 September – Wednesday 4 March
The Classical Music Series
JW3’s Classical Music Series returns for a third season, showcasing some of the best artists from around the world. The performances start with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper (30 Sep), followed by vocalist Helen Charlston, who’ll sing alongside string musicians Sergio Buchell and Jonathan Manson (30 Oct); and the third concert features a Four Hands recital by Mishka Rushdie Momen and Alasdair Beatson sharing a piano (16 Nov). The 2026 programme features the Fionacci Quartet (15 Jan), a piano trio repertoire (12 Feb) and a classical string quartet accompanied by a viola (4 Mar).
7.30pm. £33, £16.50 concs. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
TALKS
Tuesday 20 May
Children in the Aftermath of 7 October
Professor Asher Ben-Arieh (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) discusses how both the Hebrew University and the Haruv Institute – global leaders in child welfare research and training – have collaborated with the Israeli government and the IDF to build a rehabilitation framework for children who were taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October and have now been returned, as well as for young people coping with other traumas.
7pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Tuesday 27 May
A Quirk of History: The Logistics of Destruction in Hungary
Researchers present their findings on the 1944 deportation of Jews in Hungary, focusing on the journey intended from Debrecen to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was diverted to Strasshof concentration camp in Vienna. The panel, consisting of historians, engineers and academics, accompanied by Agnes Kaposi, who survived that very train journey, aim to delve deeper in to the role of transportation as part of the ‘Final Solution’.
6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE & The Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Wednesday 28 May
I Hope Soon to Get into a Hospital
In 1930s Britain, when the threat of war became imminent, there was a growing crisis in the recruitment and retention of nurses that coincided with the imminent threat of war. To bolster the number of healthcare workers, the government offered Jewish refugees from Nazism in the UK the chance to train as nurses. Dr Jane Brooks (University of Manchester) maps the ups and downs that many young women faced in their training and discusses their ongoing bravery and determination in carving out a new career for themselves.
6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE & Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Thursday 5 June
Willy Meisl: King of Sports Journalists
Austrian Jewish sports writer Willy Meisl revolutionised his field of journalism during the Weimar Republic, critiquing whilst taking professionalism, tactics and sporting history into account. His focus shifted upon the rise of the Nazis, when he was forced into exile and started to write about radical ideology and the terror behind their reign. Authors Darren O’Bryne and Christopher Young discuss Meisl’s career with fellow writer and commentator David Bolchover.
7pm. £15. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Monday 9 June
Belsen Exchange Camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was originally established by the Nazis as somewhere to hold people who were eligible to exchange for German war prisoners, goods and services. Professor Rainer Schulze (University of Essex) discusses this little-known information and looks at what happened to make Belsen the site of 50,000 deaths.
6.30pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Thursday 12 June
Imagining Little Paris: The Jewish Jazz Age of Interwar Kovno
American artist Aimee Birnbaum sheds light on when Kaunas was Lithuania’s capital city (1919-1940), a time when Jewish entertainers drew crowds into elegant establishments. She’ll use historical photographs, recordings and paintings to look at the flourishing café society life of the region during the interwar period. Refreshments provided.
6.30pm. FREE. Location provided upon booking. www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-jewish-studies
Tuesday 24 June
Meet the Mural
Leon Fenster’s 26-metre-long mural, which brightened the side of JW3’s nine-storey building, depicted over 150 Jewish faces from past and present. Some of those featured in the painting join the artist to discuss what it means to have been included, what the work represents, and how Jewish Londoners have contributed to the capital over the centuries.
7pm. £12. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Monday 30 June
Belsen in British Memory
Professors Sue Vice (University of Sheffield) and Dan Stone (University of London) explore the significance of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in today’s society. This talk is part of the library’s Traces of Belsen exhibition and marks 80 years since prisoners of the camp were freed.
6.30pm. FREE. Wiener Holocaust Library, WC1B 5DP. www.wienerholocaustlibrary.org
Wednesday 2 July
Europe and the Middle East
Academic Jonathan Paris examines the evolving relationship between Israel and Europe amidst the current conflict. He’ll focus on the rising levels of antisemitism in the UK and the shift in patterns of Jewish people emigrating to Israel.
2pm. £20. ONLINE & JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Tuesday 8 July
A Third Annual Evening of Cricket
Drawing on his current Lord’s exhibition, Cricket and the Jewish Community, Daniel Lightman presents an evening of discussion focusing on the sport within Judaism. He’s joined by former England captain Mike Brearley OBE and Roland Butcher, who was the first black cricketer to play for England.
7.30pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Wednesday 9 July
Next Stop, Finchleystrasse!
Journalist Etan Smallman explores the colourful history of north-west London’s Finchley Road, focusing on its importance for European Jews from the 1930s onwards. It was the home of various different establishments built by Jewish refugees and became a sanctuary for those displaced during World War II.
7pm. £12. ONLINE & JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
THEATRE
Until Saturday 31 May
Faygele
Ari Freed’s life is turned upside down when his father brands him a ‘faygele’ (derogatory Yiddish term for someone who is gay) at his bar mitzvah. Already in a state of delicate mental health, Freed battles between his faith and identity, love and duty, and past and future, as he navigates the complexities of his teens and the relationships that shape him. Read our interview with writer Shimmy Braun in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
7.30pm (Mon-Sat), 2.30pm (Thu & Sat only). £22.25-£77.25. Marylebone Theatre, NW1 6XT. www.marylebonetheatre.com
Until Saturday 7 June
House of Games
Billy is a sex, drugs and gambling addict, and a regular at the House of Games, an illicit poker lounge. He turns to renowned psychoanalyst and author Dr Margaret Ford for help, who happens to be on the hunt for a subject matter for her next bestselling book. On her search, she finds herself deep in Chicago’s underworld and meets Mike, another charismatic gamer. Watch as a tricky game ensues, in which even the players themselves are unaware of the rules. Written by Jewish playwrights David Mamet and Jonathan Katz, and adapted from the screenplay of the same name.
7.30pm, 2.30pm (Thu & Sat only). From £15, £10 concs. Hampstead Theatre, NW3 3EU. www.my.hampsteadtheatre.com
Until Saturday 28 June
Here We Are
Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello directs this staging of Stephen Sondheim’s last musical before he died in 2021. Here We Are follows Leo and Marianne Brink, who are out to brunch. The restaurant has great reviews and they’re with great friends – what could go wrong? Read more about Here We Are in Theatre in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
7.30pm, 2.15pm (Wed & Sat only). £25-£110. National Theatre, SE1 9PX. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Wednesday 18 June - Saturday 12 July
Who is Claude Cahun?
Explore the true story of Claude Cahun (born Lucy Schwob), a groundbreaking Jewish artist, photographer and writer whose self-portraits explored identity, gender and feminism. This intimate, five-person production tells her story, from her youth in Nantes and England, to her time in Paris with lover Marcel Moore (born Suzanne Malherbe), and final years in the Channel Islands. The couple were key members of the French Surrealist circle and playing with gender was a key part of their work. As Hitler’s power grew, the pair fled France for Jersey, believing they would be safe on British territory. On the island, they began spreading anti-Nazi resistance propaganda, for which they were arrested in 1944. Read more about Claude Cahun in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
7.30pm (Tue-Sat), 3pm (Tue & Sat only). From £24, £19 concs. Southwark Playhouse Borough, SE1 6BD. www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Until Saturday 2 August
Giant
After a sold-out run at the Royal Court Theatre, Mark Rosenblatt’s debut play Giant transfers to the West End. It’s the summer of 1983 and renowned children’s author Roald Dahl is set to release his latest book, The Witches. If only the public outrage over his recent antisemitic comments would disappear. Should he make a public apology or risk his name and reputation? An unexpectedly explosive confrontation at his family home may just force him to choose. Based on real-life events, Giant deals with the problematic issues of fame and rhetoric with dark humour. Starring Golden Globe-winner John Lithgow and Olivier Award-winner Elliot Levey. Directed by Nicholas Hytner. Read more about Giant in the Summer 2024 issue of JR.
7.30pm (Mon-Sat), 2.30pm (Wed & Sat only). Prices TBC. Harold Pinter Theatre, SW1Y 4DN. www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk
Until Sunday 28 September
Oliver!
Following its huge success at Chichester Festival Theatre last year, Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel returns. The orphaned Oliver Twist finds himself in London’s dark underworld with Fagin and his team of pickpockets, led by the Artful Dodger. With a score of well-known songs, including ‘Oom Pah Pah’ and ‘As Long as He Needs Me’, follow Oliver as he looks for happiness in Dickens’ story of the boy who asked for more.
7pm (Mon & Tues only), 7.30pm (Wed-Sat), 2.30pm (Wed & Sat only). From £65. Gielgud Theatre, W1D 6AR. www.oliverthemusical.com
Friday 23 May – Saturday 28 June
The Frogs
Award-winning American actor Nathan Lane, best known for his role in The Producers, tackles Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known musical The Frogs. Adapted loosely from Aristophanes’ ancient Greek comedy of the same name, this new staging sees mythological characters Dionysos and Xanthias dive to the depths of Hades in order to save a divided and despairing world – if they don’t get bogged down by their own idiosyncrasies. Read more about The Frogs in the Spring 2025 issue of JR.
7pm, 2.30pm (Tue & Sat only). £10-£35. Southwark Playhouse, SE1 6BD. www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Saturday 24 May – Saturday 19 July
Fiddler on the Roof
Following its sold-out run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the summer, Jordan Fein’s production of Fiddler on the Roof hits the Barbican stage. Travel back to the small village of Anatevka and watch as Jewish milkman Tevye navigates life with his wife Golde and five daughters. With each daughter rebelling against his strong Jewish beliefs, can Tevye embrace the unfamiliar in a changing world or will he stick to his roots? Featuring classics such as ‘If I Were A Rich Man’, ‘Matchmaker’ and ‘Sunrise, Sunset’.
7.30pm (Mon-Sat), 2.30pm (Tue, Thu & Sat only). From £25. The Barbican Centre, EC2Y 8DS. www.barbican.org.uk
Sunday 15 June
Ms MaNDy's Adventures in Wonderland
AI, animation and technology controlled by eye movements are intertwined to present visual artist Sarah Ezekiel’s drag extravaganza. Accompanied by music from Alex Herd, the show portrays the minds of both creatives, who both have MND (motor neurone disease), and the magical, imaginative world in which they live.
7.30pm. £20. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 July
Kiki and Herb are Trying!
Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman, under their alter egos Kiki and Herb, bring their darkly comic stories and tone-deaf songs to the stage. Following success in their youth, the elderly couple is now coasting through life, living off meagre government entitlements. Kiki, who has a fascination with Jewish people, has returned to her birthplace in New Jersey to unwind, while Herb, an actual Jew, lives in Tennessee. The two remain in close communication, but when their payments stop arriving and various other inconveniences hit, they’re forced to return to showbusiness, this time in London. Can the two heal the centuries-old conflict between the US and UK through their performances? They’re certainly going to try.
7.30pm. From £15. Soho Theatre Walthamstow, E17 4QH. www.sohotheatre.com
Sunday 18 May & Sunday 20 July
Spitalfields: The Historic Jewish East End of London
Venture through the capital’s East End, past Bevis Marks – the UK’s oldest functioning synagogue – to the buzzing Spitalfields Market. Marc Gardiner guides participants through historic streets, including Brick Lane, where Yiddish was once the common language, and to corners of the city that boast Jewish history dating back 1,000 years.
3pm. £20. Starting point provided upon booking. www.jw3.org.uk
Sunday 1 June
Culinary Connections
From Sir Joseph Lyons, founder of the revolutionary Lyons tea shops, to Jack Cohen, whose Tesco legacy lives on, discover the burial sites of many influential foodies buried at Willesden Jewish Cemetery.
11am. £10, £8 concs. Willesden Jewish Cemetery, NW10 2JE. www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk
Sunday 8 June
Sport at Willesden
Explore the history of those who made a difference to the world of football, horse racing, boxing and more, all of whom are laid to rest at Willesden Jewish Cemetery.
11am. £10, £8 concs. Willesden Jewish Cemetery, NW10 2JE. www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk
Thursday 19 June
Royal Connections
Follow in the footsteps of British monarchs on this Westminster walk. Blue Badge guide Rachel Kolsky tells of the many and varied connections that the Jewish community has had with Britain’s royal family.
11am. £20. Starting point provided upon booking. www.jw3.org.uk
WALKS
WORKSHOPS
until Monday 14 July
Love Love Love
Angela Gluck debunks various theories that Jews are emotionally lacking and ruled by the law of religion. This weekly workshop explores the depth of feeling within Judaism, which is based on a love of your neighbours, strangers and Hashem (God).
10.30am. £144, £18 per session. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Until Tuesday 22 July
Hebrew Calligraphy
Develop your skills in Hebrew calligraphy, artwork and colour with expert Vetta Alexis. Work towards creating beautiful, illuminated Hebrew letters, words, quotations and more with ink, painting and gold leaf in these weekly sessions.
Time TBC. £162. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
until Thursday 31 July
Hebrew Language for Beginners
Whether you have Jewish heritage or simply a love for languages, discover the magic of the Hebrew dialect in this course designed specifically for beginners.
8pm. £35 per session. 15 Kidderpore Avenue, NW3 7SJ. www.spiroark.org
Thursday 5 – Thursday 26 June
World War II on Film
This four-week course, led by lecturer, writer and film studies expert Dr Julia Wagner explores the diversity within wartime filmmaking. Various works will be examined alongside discussions about how 1940s cinematography informed, influenced and persuaded audiences during World War II.
10.30am. £72. JW3, NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk
Monday 9 – Monday 23 June
Fringes
Explore symbolism, clothing and identity with teachers and rabbis in weekly sessions of cross-denomination learning.
6.30pm. Price TBC. Westminster Synagogue, SW7 1BX. www.westminstersynagogue.org
Sunday 18 – Friday 23 August
Golden Peacock: Sing Yiddish
Shura Lipovsky – Yiddish singer, teacher and artistic director of Golden Peacock leads this course for singers wishing to deepen their knowledge of Yiddish music. Participants will focus on music theory, range, roots and. There will also be a communal dancing session with both Klezfest and Golden Peacock students. This is one of the only opportunities in the UK to immerse yourself in the world of Yiddish song with like-minded people from different backgrounds. Hosted by the Jewish Music Institute.
10am-6pm. £165-£260. SOAS University of London, WC1H 0XG. www.jmi.org.uk
Sunday 17 – Friday 22 August
Ot Azoy! Learn Yiddish
The Jewish Music Institute presents fully immersive classes in Yiddish language, song and culture for all levels and backgrounds. International Yiddish expert Dr Khayele Beer leads the course, while head of faculty Shura Lipovsky leads daily sessions in Yiddish song.
Times vary. £175-£290. SOAS University of London, WC1H 0XG. www.jmi.org.uk
Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 August
Klezfest
Celebrate the soulful and traditional Jewish music from 19th-century Eastern Europe in this three-day event. The jam-packed programme features a workshop with the Yiddish Choir, a lively jam session and lots of opportunities to learn, play, sing, dance and connect. Hosted by the Jewish Music Institute.
From 10am. £125.00–£225.00. SOAS University, Thornhaugh Street, WC1H 0XG. www.jmi.org.uk