Stepney: a district considered the ‘better part’ of the Old Jewish Quarter. As we stroll through these pleasant streets and quaint alleyways, there are interesting sights and fascinating stories.
See the secret 300-year-old Jewish cemetery hidden within an astonishing modern setting; the amazing sight of the giant department store forced to build around a tiny jewellery shop whose owners, three Jewish brothers, refused to sell out; the 125-year-old family business that makes all the boots for Britain’s army; and a former major synagogue that is now a luxury apartment block, yet amazingly retains incredible features of its former life.
Learn why Jewish community leaders hoped this ‘better’ part of the Jewish East End would be off limits to the Eastern European Jewish immigrants; hear about the famous Siege of Sidney Street as we stand on the very spot where a young Winston Churchill directed the attack against Russian Jewish anarchists; discover why pupils at a Jewish school were taught English hymns and frowned upon for wearing their skullcaps; also why the Jewish leadership said NO to having a Jewish hospital.
Meet larger-than-life characters like the Jewish lawyer, defender of Britain’s most infamous gangsters; the cheeky kid thrown out of school for selling sweepstake tickets and became Britain’s top impresario; the non-Jewish immigrant learning Yiddish to bring 40,000 clothing sweatshop workers out on strike; the Jewish billionaire who started his business life selling cans of food from a market stall.
While we stroll along Stepney streets, there’s the tale of the incredible joy of one-time oppressed Jewish immigrants lining these same streets as they cheered a Jewish regiment marching off to liberate Palestine from the Turks.
This tour will not depart from JW3; the meeting location will be provided upon booking.