For the UK’s first annual Jewish Culture Month (16 May to 15 June) ARK, Cliftonville’s Cultural Space, launches “Jewish Heritage in East Kent”, a new website exploring the rich Jewish history of Cliftonville West in an accessible and engaging way, adding to the rich mosaic of the history of local communities.
Focusing on ten isle sites, local historian Katie Blythe has conducted interviews with members of a once flourishing Jewish community and with Jewish visitors who have fond memories of holidays spent at the seaside.
In their heyday, coastal resorts such as Cliftonville drew visitors, largely from London, seeking rest in the sunshine and sea air. While not exclusively Jewish, these spaces became closely associated with Jewish life, especially as expanding rail travel opened them to the working classes, and kosher hotels catered to their dietary needs.
Katie, who regularly runs guided tours of local Jewish sites, has unearthed many fascinating and moving stories of Cliftonville’s temporary visitors and long-time residents. She has researched pedlars serving the needs of the Navy in the early 19th century, traced the history of kosher boarding houses which were often run by women a century later, given a voice to Jewish children who found refuge fleeing the Holocaust, and collected information about Jewish businesses that served the local community and are still fondly remembered.
The project is funded by Canterbury Christ Church University and National Lottery Heritage Funding.
Maria Diemling, from the Centre for Kent History and Heritage at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: “Jewish presence in East Kent is a hidden history that has not yet been acknowledged. The website seeks to recover and celebrate these important stories”
ARK director Jan Ryan added: “ARK, Cliftonville’s Cultural Space is based in the former Margate synagogue – one of the few remaining reminders of Cliftonville’s Jewish past. This website celebrates and explores that past, keeping it alive for today’s visitors”
The Jewish Heritage East Kent website will be at: https://www.jhek.org/
For full details of ARK events go to: https://www.arkcliftonville.com/tickets
A most welcome development, I congratulate all involved in the project.
As someone proudly of Jewish heritage, this pleases me greatly. Well done Katie!
Nonsense Checksfield, the only think you are is deluded, your NOT jewish, get help!
When do I get white heterosexual month
Well done Katie!
The history throughout the District is rich, deep and long.
The wonderful thing about Cliftonville is that it is one of the most truly culturally diverse places in Britain. No particular ethnicity, religion or culture dominates.
Your right Harry, I have been an observant Christian for over 70 years, and have been having lunch at a Muslim run restaurant 5 days a week for over ten years!
I had a Jewish grandfather and an Antiguan step-dad (and my favourite local eatery is a Greek restaurant!).
Its good to see you are no longer claiming to be Jewish Checksfield, its impossible to be Jewish unless you practice the religious faith, so even if you had a Grandfather who was observent, it can’t be inherited. I don’t understand why you are proselytizing the jewish faith, if your not Jewish! As an observant Christian I have never felt the need to proselytise my faith, although there are others, like Jehovah’s Witness who do I suppose.
I am Jewish.
I strongly advise that you do not say such a thing to an atheist Israeli.
a very fair comment from BigBear , but i dont expect we will see that – EVER !
Why not organise it yourself with Big Bear!!! Duh!
Well done Katie x
I’ll put it another way Checksfield to see if you can grasp it, if someone had a Grandfather who was a practicing and observant Catholic, the grandson cannot claim to be a Catholic can he? To claim to be Jewish just because you had a Grandfather who was a practicing, and observant person of the Jewish faith isn’t just impossible, its ludicrous. So, once again Jews are not a race, anymore than Catholics, Muslims, Hindu’s etc are not a race. You can only claim to be a Jew if you are practising, and are an observant member of one of the Jewish sects, are you? I think we should know. If you are not a practicing member of the Jewish faith, and are claiming to be a Jew, when you are not, you should seek help, and I mean that sincerely.
Not sure why it bothers you so much… maybe you’re the one who needs help.
Shalom.
I take religion seriously! At the moment thousands of people are being killed because of their faith. The Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, and stealing their land in the West Bank is down to religion! This country, along with millions of other Europeans were hidiously tortured, and killed for at least 200 years, from around 1500, to 1700. All because people didn’t want to be ruled from Rome by a Pope!
The same is happening now, Islam is split between different sects, and Israel is being governed by a handful of fanatical Jews! Millions of people were killed by the NAZI’s because Hitler claimed they were a race, but ironically they were rounded up using their German ID Cards, which made them state what religion they were, not race! It made it easier to identify them! It bothers me because I am a survivor of the second world war, although my older sister Beryl wasn’t! The genocide by the Israeli’s against the Palestinions is because of their religion, the Israeli’s are destroying Gaza and Lebanon in order to gain more living space, the same as Hitler claimed, so whats the difference between the NAZI’s and the Israili’s precious little I suggest.
God, you lefties are obsessed with Palestine. Go and live there.
Sometimes Checksfield when you run out of argument, you lapse into the idiotic! How can I live in Gaza? The Israeli’s have raised it to the ground, and killed tens of thousands of innocent people, many are children, babies, women, the elderly, and sick. If Hammas are a terrorist organisation then Israel is a Terrorist state! As you persistently claim to be a Jew, why don’t you move to Israel?
Nice one Katie