Community The earliest record of a Jewish community in Canterbury dates from 1160. The community is known to have been prosperous and to have traded in corn (grain) and wool as well as banking. Despite pogroms in 1261 and 1264, the community flourished until the
Edict of Expulsion, given by
Edward I of England in 1290. Its presence is commemorated in the street name, Jewry Lane. A modern Jewish community is known to have existed in Canterbury by 1720. The present building was designed by Canterbury architect, Hezekiah Marshall, a Christian, and constructed in 1846–48. The synagogue replaced a 1763 building torn down to make place for the new railway built by the South Eastern Railway Company. The cornerstone of the 1848 building was laid by Sir
Moses Montefiore in September 1847. A pair of columns with lotus capitals flank the doorway of the simple building, by high. The building is made of
Portland cement, which gives the appearance of granite. There is a central
bimah, the columns of which boast lotus-leaf capitals, and a women's balcony supported by Egyptian-style obelisks. The
mikveh was described as "a miniature brick-faced temple set in the garden behind the synagogue". It is the only Egyptian Revival mikveh known to exist. The site is known to have been a hospice of the
Knights Templar in medieval times. In the earliest part of the 20th century, dwindling membership forced the synagogue to close. It is understood that regular services ceased in , with the premises eventually sold in 1937.
The King's School In 1982,
The King's School, Canterbury purchased the Old Synagogue, and it serves as the school's music recital hall. Since purchasing the Old Synagogue, The King's School has allowed members of the school's Jewish society gather at the Old Synagogue regularly for brief, informal Friday evening Shabbat meetings; and the small local
non-denominational Jewish community had occasional use of the premises, up until . Up until this time, events such as Passover Seders, Sukkoth, Purim and other social activities, as well as a Jewish wedding, were held on the grounds. In 2011, a Shabbat morning service and Torah reading was led by members of the
University of Kent's Jewish Society and the university's Chabad
rabbi. == See also ==