The United Kingdom’s inaugural Jewish Culture Month will include a programme in Nottinghamshire at the National Holocaust Museum. The initiative entitled What does it mean to be Jewish? is scheduled to take place at the venue in Laxton, close to Newark, on Thursday May 28. Individuals from every faith and background are invited to attend. Visitors to the exhibition will hear authentic narratives from youthful Jewish people from across the country, alongside chances to interact directly with objects demonstrating Jewish life. Educators will be on site, and guests can explore the museum’s recently launched Jewish identity collection designed for hands-on engagement. Those taking part will be able to touch, listen to, and study specially selected items, all chosen following extensive consultation with Jewish community representatives. These artifacts, spanning historical and contemporary periods, feature photographs, books, toys, kippot, which are brimless skullcaps, and religious objects. Jill Robinson, who serves as head of partnerships and events at the National Holocaust Museum, said the museum is honoured to be participating in the UK’s first Jewish Culture Month and welcomes guests to discover the numerous ways Jewish identity is expressed and experienced in current times. She explained that through the new Jewish identity handling collection and the genuine stories of young British Jews, the museum aims to inspire curiosity, comprehension and discussion at a moment when addressing prejudice has never been more crucial, while motivating visitors to learn more through the exhibitions. The session runs from 11.30am to 12.30pm and is included with general admission tickets, available to reserve online. Jewish Culture Month coincides with the Hebrew month of Sivan to highlight positive contributions to British society. Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom, said she is delighted to support the first UK Jewish Culture Month and anticipates its success among people of all faiths and communities. Running nationwide from May 16 to June 16, the programme is an initiative of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the national representative organisation of the UK Jewish community. Unprecedented numbers of anti-Semitic incidents were documented in the United Kingdom during 2023 and 2024. A rise occurred the previous year following the deaths of two men during an attack on a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, October 2, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar. In March 2026, four Jewish ambulances were set ablaze in Golders Green, London. Police inquiries remain ongoing.
This is a digital representation, not a photograph.
