The Jewish Museum

Jewish Museum

London’s Jewish Museum opens late on Thursday evenings in July and August, so I headed there last week. The museum is located near Camden tube station, and is relatively easy to find. Entrance is free for Art Fund card holders; the normal entry price is £7.50.

The museum has four floors and each has something different. The ground floor has the cafe and the shop; upstairs on the first floor, the exhibition Judaism: A Living Faith looks at the Jewish religion and displays several artefacts relating to it. Above that, History: A British Story looks at the history of Jews in the UK, particularly in London.

Also here there is a Holocaust Gallery. I found this incredibly sad and moving. It is told through the story of Leon Greenman, an Auschwitz survivor. Though of British nationality, he was living in the Netherlands with his wife and son when the Nazis invaded and, unable to prove his nationality, he was deported along with his family. Sadly his wife and son were killed in the gas chambers, but Leon survived and spent the rest of his life raising awareness of the Holocaust and campaigning against racism.

The top floor hosts temporary exhibitions: the current exhibition is Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait. Most of the items on display were loaned by the singer’s brother Alex, who also wrote the captions. The displays portray a normal girl who enjoyed music and clothes but dreamed of fame. The family photographs are warm and intimate. Particularly moving were the notes covering the board at the end of the exhibition, full of heartfelt messages from Amy’s fans.

FACTS

Address: Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, London, NW1 7NB

Website: jewishmuseum.org.uk

Opening Hours: 10am-5pm (2pm on Fridays)

Prices: Adult £7.50, Concession £6.50, Child £3.50; under-5s free