To suggest updates/corrections/additions
to the links
in this section
click here.
AJEX (Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women) (https://www.ajex.org.uk) – Includes a searchable "Record of Honour"
online database that gives basic details of most Jewish personnel who served in the
armed forces during the Second World War plus national servicemen (1939-1960).
Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com) – A leading global genealogy
portal. Some free information and lookups. Some information available only
by paid subscription. All Censuses (1841-1901) for England and Wales
available. Also old telephone directories, a growing selection of records
relating to WW1 soldiers, and the Birth, Marriage and Death Indices for England
& Wales (from 1837).
The Anglo-Jewish Archives (part of the University of Southampton Special Collections)
- the collection contains records from a large number of organisations as well as the personal papers of
significant individuals in Anglo-Jewish history.
Anglo Jewish Miscellanies (of Jeffrey Maynard)
(http://www.jeffreymaynard.com). Includes:
Association of Jewish Refugees (UK) (https://ajr.org.uk)
– Site dedicated Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Nazism living in the UK.
Includes a section on the
Kindertransport
as well as the
Refugee Voices archive.
Ben Uri Gallery & Museum Archives (https://benuri.org/)
- uniquely specialises in the work, lives and contributions of Jewish and immigrant artists to Britain since 1900.
Berman Archives, Stanford
University (https://bermanarchive.stanford.edu/)
- Contains hundreds of articles on Jewish topics including many on Anglo-Jewry.
Booth Archives
(https://booth.lse.ac.uk/)
– includes four notebooks from Charles Booth's collection relating to the Jewish community in
London in the 1880's and 1890's.
Bradford Jewish - "Making Their Marks" (http://bradfordjewish.org.uk)
–
Website dedicated to the Jews of Bradford.
The British Library (https://www.bl.uk/)
holds a number of collections of Jewish interest including a
Hebrew Collection and
Sephardi Voices UK.
Cemetery Project of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
(https://iajgscemetery.org/) -
Includes a listing of all Jewish cemeteries in the British Isles.
1894 Commercial Directory of the Jews of the UK
– Available on-line (PDF) from
https://archive.org
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
(http://www.cwgc.org)
– Search by name for soldiers who died in the First World War and the Second
World War. (See also Roll of Honour, below.)
Family Search (Mormons) (http://www.familysearch.org) –
A genealogy portal run by the Church of Latter Day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormons). The site include
a large number of features, including search tools for many birth, marriage and
death entries, censuses throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland (not
specifically Jewish), as well as the following:
Federation of Family History Societies - FFHS (UK) (http://www.ffhs.org.uk) – An educational charity. We support, inform
and advise our membership, which consists of family history societies and similar bodies across the world.
Federation of Synagogues:
Find My Past (https://www.findmypast.com) - A commercial UK genealogy site, which includes, among other things, a British
emigration index, an index of 10 million burials in England and
Wales, 1841–1891 census data, military records, and vital records index
books. Although a fee-for-service site, in connection with burials, the site
displays the deceased’s name, year of burial and county at no charge. The
site now includes the
1939 Register
- a new project, commenced in 2014, to place online over 41 million British
wartime records. These records were taken just after the outbreak of WWII in
September 1939 to record personal details for the issue of identity cards and
ration books in England and Wales and later formed the basis for the National
Health Service's records.
Free BMD (https://www.freebmd.org.uk) – A partial (but rapidly growing) index of the UK Birth, Marriage and Death
indexes (mostly those more than 90 years old).
General Register Office (England &
Wales) (https://www.gov.uk/research-family-history) - To order birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates from the General Register
Office (GRO). The GRO has records of every birth, marriage and death registered
in England and Wales, starting from July 1837.
GenUKI (Genealogy UK & Ireland) (http://www.genuki.org.uk/big) – A comprehensive list of UK genealogy resources
in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands (mainly by
geographical area).
Google (http://www.google.com) – A very useful general web/internet search engine/tool. Try your query here.
Haruth Communications:
Hesbed.org (https://hesped.org/) - an online archive collecting material on Jewish funerals and mourning customs.
Hidden Treasures (https://celebratingjewisharchives.org),
a project of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, celebrating Jewish archives in Britain. It showcases collections from
across the UK that tell the story of Jews and their experiences in Britain.
Historic England Archives (http://archive.historicengland.org.uk)
- Includes catalogue entries for over
a million photographs and documents held in Historic England’s public archive,
including synagogues and other buildings of Jewish interest.
The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre
(web site)
- part of the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association (based in Huddersfield)
- preserves and exhibits artefacts, records
and testimonies of Holocaust survivors and refugees who made their lives in the North of England.
Internet Archive (https://archive.org) – This Archive maintains a non-profit library of millions of free books
and other media, and includes
Liverpool - The Changing Years
- a series of articles published in the Liverpool Jewish Gazette between
1968 and 1970.
Irish Genealogy (https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en) - The website that allows users the opportunity to search a wide range
of record sources in their search of their Irish Ancestry. The website is home to the on-line historic
Indexes of the Civil Registers (GRO) of Births, Marriages, Civil Partnerships and Deaths.
Irish Jewish Museum (http://jewishmuseum.ie) - The website of The Irish Jewish Museum in Dublin.
Irish Jewish Roots (http://www.irishjewishroots.com/) - The website contains information on over 50,000 Jews or
relatives of Jews who have lived in
Ireland between 1700 and the present day.
Irish National Archives (http://www.nationalarchives.ie) – The National Archives of Ireland holds a wide variety of records, many of
which are relevant to Irish genealogy, include on-line census.
JCR-UK (https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/) – Jewish Communities and Records - United Kingdom - records, databases and histories for Jewish
communities and congregations throughout the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel
Islands and Gibraltar.
Jewish Chronicle (http://www.thejc.com) –
Britain's national Jewish newspaper. The site includes
The Jewish Chronicle Archives - online back issues of the newspaper.
Jewish East End Celebration Society (JEECS) (http://www.jeecs.org.uk)
- JEECS's purposes include, among others, the focusing of attention on Jewish life and culture in the
East End of London; disseminating information about the Jewish East End;
re-establishing roots and interest in the Jewish East End; and preserving
and documenting past Jewish life. Publishes the Cable magazine.
Jewish Encyclopedia
online (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/)
JewishGen (https://www.jewishgen.org) – The leading international Jewish Genealogy website,
with a wealth of genealogical data, tools and resources, including:
-
All-UK Database - This comprises over 385,000 UK records, consisting of the
JewishGen UK Databases; the JGSGB UK Databases transferred from the
JGSGB; databases transferred from
JCR-UK; and UK databases subsequently contributed to the
All-UK Database through JewishGen, JGSGB or JCR-UK.
-
JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF) – A JewishGen service. Look up the surnames and
towns of your research interest here. Also post your research interests of family surnames here.
-
JewishGen Family Tree of the Jewish People (FTJP)
– A good place to look up your family by name. See if someone else has posted a
family names that link to yours. Post the names in your family tree here.
-
JewishGen Genealogy by Genetics (DNA)
– A website explaining DNA testing and its uses in Genealogy
-
JewishGen Hebrew (JOS) Calendar Converter
- The JewishGen JOS Calendar Converter can convert a civil (Gregorian calendar)
date into the equivalent date on the Hebrew calendar, and vice versa. It can
also display Yahrzeit dates for consecutive years.
-
JewishGen Memorial Plaques Database
- This new database indexes names and other information from synagogue yahrzeit plaques and other
synagogue memorial records.
-
JewishGen Online World World Burial Register (JOWBR)
- This Register containing more than 2.75 million records, including
more than 65,000 for the United Kingdom (which are also part of the
All-UK Database).
Jewish Ireland (http://www.jewishireland.org) –
The website of the Irish Jewish Community, which includes a
History of the Jews in Ireland.
Jewish Museum (http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk)
– A website of the Jewish Museum, Camden Town, London.
Jewish Telegraph (http://www.jewishtelegraph.com)
- Britain's only regional Jewish newspaper.
Jewish Virtual Library - UK
(https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/united-kingdom-virtual-jewish-history-tour) – A virtual Jewish history tour of the United Kingdom.
JGSGB (https://www.jgsgb.org.uk)
– The website of The Jewish Genealogical Society of
Great Britain, which includes:
-
JGSGB Databases in Members Corner –
[***Note this area is only open to Members of JGSGB. For details of how to join JGSGB please
click here]
-
JGSGB Library Catalogue (
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/jgsgblib
- not part of the JGSGB site)
- Includes details of the JGSGB Library.
The Jews in the RAF (https://www.thejewsoftheraf.co.uk)
- archive dedicated to Jewish personnel who served and died in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
JTRAILS (http://www.jtrails.org.uk)
- National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail, working in
conjunction with English Heritage, to raise awareness of Jewish history
and to encourage individuals to further investigate their own roots as well as
the fascinating origins of the community.
Lancashire BMD (http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk)
- This site now includes, among other things, a substantial number of
marriage records of synagogues in Liverpool.
Liverpool Record Office
(http://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/archives-family-history)
- Holds the archives of the Merseyside Jewish Community
from the 18th century to the present day.
London East End Vintage Glamour
(http://eastendvintageglamour.org.uk)
– A website depicting the work of Boris Bennett, the leading Jewish
London wedding photographer, and portray the life, times and characters that passed
through Boris's East End studios from the late 1920’s up to the mid-1950’s. This a
great genealogical tool for discovering photographs and anyone who has a
photograph taken by Boris is asked to submit it with a short bio. to be placed
on-line.
London Gazette
(https://www.thegazette.co.uk)
- The Gazette has been the official UK journal of
record for over 350 years and includes details of wills, probates, insolvencies,
public notices and much more.
London Metropolitan Archives
(https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/london-metropolitan-archives
) – LMA is a major repository for records of Anglo-Jewish organisations, dating
from the 1650s.
The archives include records of
Office for the Chief Rabbi; the Board of Deputies of British Jews; the London Beth Din (court of the Chief Rabbi);
other major nationwide Jewish organisations; many Jewish schools; national religious
organsations for most branches of Judaism; individual synagogues; Jewish charities;
and international Jewish welfare organisations.
London - Survey of London – Histories of Whitechapel, including photographs, stories and research,
film clips and audio recordings added by historians, local people and others with an interest in the area
National Archives (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)
– UK Government Records and Information Services (formerly the
Public Records Office). The Archives contain an enormous amount of material
covering over 1,000 years of history. Among the items of Jewish interest are:
Northern Ireland Jewish Heritage Map
(https://www.belfastjewishheritage.org/)
- the Jewish history of Northern Ireland told through an interactive map. A project of Belfast Jewish Heritage (project director - Stephen Jaffe) and affiliated to JCR-UK.
Oxford Jewish Heritage
(http://www.oxfordjewishheritage.co.uk) –
Profile of Oxford Jewish history from earliest records through to modern day community activities,
including detailed maps of Medieval Jewish Oxford, an Inventory of Hebraica and Judaica in the Oxford Colleges,
Blue Plaques for famous Oxford Jews and much more.
Parkes Library & Hartley Institute (University of Southampton)
(http://library.soton.ac.uk/parkes)
– Includes a survey of Jewish archives in the UK and Ireland.
Poor Jews Temporary Shelter
(https://humanities.uct.ac.ac/kaplan-centre/kaplan/migration/poorjewsshelter/a>)
- A database of approx 43,000 Jews who stayed at the Shelter in Leman Street,
London during the period 1896-1914.
RootsWeb
(http://www.rootsweb.com)
– A major genealogy portal with reasonable UK coverage.
Roll of Honour
(http://www.roll-of-honour.com)
– Dedicated to those men and women who fell fighting for their country.
Scottish Jewish Archives Centre
(http://www.sjac.org.uk) -
A large collection of records on Jewish communities and individuals throughout Scotland,
as well as database of almost 40,000 Scottish Jews.
Scottish Jewish Cemeteries Database (https://scottishjewishcemeteries.org)
-
also now includes the aatabase of the Glasgow Hebrew Burial Society.
ScotlandsPeople
(https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/) – This is the official Scotland genealogical resource. It claims to be the only site to have complete Scottish census records from
1841–1901. It includes both an index as well as the actual images. This
fee-for-service site also has birth, marriage and death records.
Society of Genealogist
(http://www.sog.org.uk/index.shtml) The (U.K.) National Library & Education Centre for Family History.
Susser Archive This website is hosted by JCR-UK and
includes a wealth of genealogical and historical resources. For details click on
the "Susser Archive" button on the left-hand side of this page.
Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog
(http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com:80/)
- A blog about Jewish genealogy - All the the developments, tools
and resources you'll need to peer more closely into for your family tree.
United Synagogue
(http://www.theus.org.uk) - The United Synagogue is the largest synagogue movement in Europe.
Founded in 1870 today it comprises over 60 local congregations. Records
available include:
UCL Special Collections
(https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/special-collections/),
part of the University College London Library system, contains
numerous Jewish religious and communal records along with personal archives,
including the personal archive of Rabbi Moses Gaster, Chief Rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese community in England from 1887 to 1918.
Wales -
Jewish History Association of South Wales
(JHASW), including
Voices and images of the
South Wales Jewish community on peoplescollection.wales
website.
War Memorials Online
(https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk)
- Listings (with searchable database) of UK’s war memorials.
War Memorials Register
(http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/search)
- The UK's Imperial War Museum's War Memorial Register enables one to search for
information about the 68,000 war memorials.
Welsh National Library
(https://www.llgc.org.uk)
- The website of the National Library of Wales.
The World Jewish Relief Archive (https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/about-us) includes records of those who came to the UK from Nazi-controlled Europe during the 1930’s and 1940’s
and whom the organisation helped to escape and start new lives in Britain.
World War I - "British Jews in First World War - We were there too" (https://www.jewsfww.uk)
- A unique cross community project created to capture, record and preserve the impact, experience and contribution of London’s Jewish communities during the First World War era.
Page created by John Berman: 2003
Page initially prepared and researched by
Laurence Harris
Page expanded and reformatted by David Shulman: 24 August 2009
Reformatted by Louise Messik: 4 November 2011
Ongoing revisions and updates by David Shulman
Page most recently amended:
4 August 2024
