Thursday 11 January 2018 11am-12.30pm

Built in 1701, Bevis Marks Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom and it has remained constantly in use.  Its origin lies with Spanish and Portuguese Jews who came to London in the seventeenth century, escaping persecution by the Catholic Church and taking advantage of a greater religious tolerance in this country under Oliver Cromwell.  By 1657, a house in Creechurch Lane in the City of London had been converted into a synagogue and the site of Bevis Marks was acquired in 1699. Constructed by Joseph Avis, a Quaker builder who is said to have refused any profit from the work, and with an oak beam presented by Queen Anne, the synagogue was completed in 1701.  Remarkably, the synagogue has seen almost no significant alteration in the last three centuries.  Original furnishings include a magnificent classical Ark and other architectural woodwork, a series of brass chandeliers  and early oak benches, as well as later eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century seat furniture, tables and stands. Members will enjoy a private visit.

Cost: £20       

Limit: 20 members

Closing date for application: Friday 15 December 2017