Jewish Heritage UK was officially launched at a reception held at the historic New West End Synagogue in London’s West End.

Perhaps for the first time, the event brought together representatives from both the Jewish community and the Heritage world. The latter included Carole Souter, Director of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and David Tomback, Chief Property Advisor at English Heritage.

Jewish Heritage UK Director Dr Sharman Kadish gave a short illustrated presentation about the work of the Survey of the Jewish Built Heritage which received a Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 1997. Recently, the Survey has attracted funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council through the University of Manchester to enable completion of the project through to publication.

A symposium to mark the 125th Anniversary of Garnethill Synagogue attracted some 130 participants. The proceedings, which explored "Jewish settlement, development and identities in Scotland" over the past 125 years, were held in the historic synagogue itself. Appropriately, Jewish Heritage UK Director Dr Sharman Kadish's lecture was on the theme of "The Jewish Buildings of Scotland".

European Jewish Heritage Day attracted some 10,000 visitors to historic synagogues and sites across the country.  Officially designated "European Day of Jewish Culture and Heritage" and organised by B'nai Brith all over the continent since 1996, this highly successful event is now in its fifth year in the UK.

New participants this year included Cheltenham Synagogue, a delightful Regency style Grade II* Listed building in the English South West.

Middle Street Synagogue was the splendid setting for a grand cantorial concert which raised over £20,000 towards the synagogue's restoration appeal. The congregation is seeking to raise the required match funding for grant aid awarded under the English Heritage & Heritage Lottery Fund Joint Places of Worship Repair Scheme. Thanks in large part to the concert, the target for Stage 1 has now been met and fund-raising is currently underway in order to access the £168,000 pledged for Stage 2.  Hazanim Avromi Freilich and Lionel Rosenfeld with the Shabbaton Choir performed to the delight of a packed audience, which included the city’s mayor and MP, representatives of Heritage organisations and a cross-section of the Jewish community.