Meet House of Life at Willesden Jewish:
Willesden Jewish Cemetery was created as an amenity for Victorian Jews of German and Dutch origin who settled in London. It has long been a prestigious place to be buried.
The cemetery was opened in 1873 on former sheep grazing land that was bought by the United Synagogue, a union of five Jewish congregations in the City of London. The cemetery was its first joint project.
A place of great tranquillity, the cemetery charts the development of London’s Jewish community over 150 years.
The graves and memorials are rich in social history.
The cemetery is the last resting place of Jews from all walks of life, and is still in use today, following orthodox Jewish custom. Only members of the United Synagogue can be buried here, and as space is limited, it is by prior reservation only.
The “House of Life” project supported from 2015 to 2021 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund is an investment in the future sustainability of the cemetery through greater public engagement.
The United Synagogue welcomes more visitors from all backgrounds to come and discover Jewish heritage, to learn, volunteer and contribute to the future protection of the site.
