How can we support and celebrate Passover with our Jewish colleagues and community?
We spend eight days eating special kinds of foods to symbolise the story of Passover – you can ask questions or even try some Matzah yourself!
We'll be off work on the high holy days at the beginning and the end of the festival so colleagues can support us by keeping meetings and events to a minimum during the festival.
Why does the Bevis Marks Synagogue hold so much historical significance in the City of London?
This Grade I listed synagogue, built by a student of Christopher Wren, is probably the most significant for Jewish people in the UK as it’s the oldest in our country, dating back to 1701. It’s the only non-Christian house of worship in the City of London and really symbolises the diversity of the area.
The synagogue seats up to 450 people and its main source of natural light is from the many number of huge beautiful windows casting atmospheric shadows within the space, electricity is kept to an absolute minimum in the synagogue and it has no ceiling lights, instead it’s magnified with elaborate candle chandeliers and candle pillars.
The synagogue is undergoing a period of restoration thanks to generous contributions from the community, matched by the National Lottery fund and by the end of 2023 a new Visitor Centre will be open for all faiths to find out more about the rich history and beauty of the building and to further educate children who visit on school trips.
King Charles visited the synagogue in 2001 and had the esteemed honour of being seated in Sir Moses Montefiore’s seat, who was a ‘Subscriber’ of Lloyd’s and the most important Jewish philanthropist figure of the 19th century. This makes his links to Lloyd’s even more profound as we are committed in the Corporation to supporting the community. The synagogue will be hosting a celebration to mark King Charles’ coronation and the eternal lamp and candles will be lit for the occasion.