A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN HEREFORD.

There have been three known Jewish Communities in Hereford, the first was during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Jews came over from Rouen in northern France after William the Conqueror and settled in London, York, Lincoln and various other smaller towns such as Hereford. The reason for settling in these places was that the Jews were valuable to the King as they were engaged in money- lending and taxed at a much higher rate than others, therefore residing in places where there was a royal castle so as to seek protection. During the mid 1200’s the community in Hereford was (if not the largest) one of the wealthiest of the Jewish Communities in Britain. They survived as a community in Hereford until the expulsion in 1290.

The second community was after the Second World War during the late forties and fifties. There were many Jewish servicemen that served in the R.A.F. during the war, and as Hereford (until recently) had a large R.A.F. camp nearby, numerous Jewish families stayed on in Hereford and settled there. Although there was no synagogue in Hereford they did conduct services for Sabbath, Festivals and Burials. Eventually as the congregation grew older many of the community returned to their original towns of origin, London, Manchester etc.

The third community is the present one founded in 1991 and has approximately thirty Jewish members plus non-Jewish husbands, wives and partners.
Although the community does not have a synagogue, services are held at member's homes, various village halls within the catchment area and the parish room of the local Catholic Church. Services are taken by either a visiting Rabbi or one of the members. Members travel from areas surrounding Hereford, i.e. Ross on Wye, Ledbury, Leominster, Hay on Wye, Malvern and Llandrindnod Wells etc.

Herefordshire Jewish Community does have a Jewish Burial facility, a separate plot within the local authority cemetery.

In addition to religious services the community also offers a varied choice of social activities.