The late Harold
Pollins
(10 July 1924 - 4 April 2018)
List of Articles by Harold Pollins on
JCR-UK
Harold Pollins, July 2016
Harold Pollins
by Harold Pollins
After I
retired, in 1989, I decided I would spend time doing research into Anglo-Jewish
history. This would not be a new venture for me. I had joined the Jewish
Historical Society of England in 1942 and my first publication in Anglo-Jewish
history was in 1952; I had also published a book and articles in the meantime.
In my retirement I looked at two particular aspects of that history: Jewish
servicemen in the First World War; and Jewish communities in Britain. I have
since published a number of articles on provincial communities and it was
inevitable that I should be particularly interested in the modern history of
Oxford Jewry.
I had moved from London to Oxford in 1964 with my wife and two young children (a
third being born in Oxford) when I was appointed a tutor at Ruskin College,
Oxford. I joined the congregation, my children went to Hebrew classes, my son
was the first boy to be barmitzvah in the newly-built synagogue in 1974, and we
participated in communal activities.
The congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1991, and a book was
written on the community’s history by the late Professor David Lewis, then the
Professor of Ancient History in the University. My elder daughter and one of his
had their Batmitzvah on the same day in 1976.
It was not too difficult researching the history of Jews in Oxford. There were
numerous resources, in the Bodleian Library (the University Library), at the
Oxfordshire History Centre, Cowley. In recent years, finding it difficult to get
around, the Internet comes to my rescue; on it I can use the Jewish Chronicle,
the Census, and the Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths, as well as
Oxfordshire newspapers.
I can claim responsibility for one particular collection at the Bodleian. One of
my neighbours, when I lived in a college house as Resident Tutor, was a
librarian at the University Library. I mentioned to him one day in the 1980s
that I had kept all sort of paper which had been sent to me, as circulars, by
the Oxford Jewish Congregation. What should I do with them? He was quite excited
and said the library would take them. So I handed him what I had, and I received
appreciative letters from someone connected with the John Johnson collection.
This is in the Library, started by a librarian of that name, consisting of all
sorts of ephemeral material - old invoices, visiting cards, single flyers. That
was where the Oxford Jewish material was located. I continued to hand my
neighbour whatever came to me (these days increased by items from Oxford Chabad),
and although he has retired he comes to me from time to time to pick up the
large envelopes I have filled up. I asked him once what use it all was, some of
it was quite trivial, I thought. ‘Oh no,’ he said, ‘we take the long view. In a
couple of hundred years’ time some scholar will ask: “what was the Oxford Jewish
community doing in the 1990s?” This is where he will find the answer.’
I have published a number of ‘chatty’, short pieces in the community magazine,
Oxford Menorah, and they are in JCR-UK.
[HAROLD POLLINS (z"l), aged 93, passed away peacefully in his sleep on 4 April
2018. He had been a provider of much data and numerous press
reports on many of the communities and congregations within the
JCR-UK, as well as authoring many varied and interesting articles
for both JCR-UK and JGSGB, for which we remain extremely grateful.
He will be sadly missed. WM]
90th Birthday Speech of Harold Pollins
List of Articles in Oxford Menorah
Oxford
Jewish Community home page
Page created: 1 January 2012
Latest revision or update: 18 April 2018
