Bath Jewish cemetery volunteers shortlisted for history award

The Friends of the Bath Jewish Burial Ground have been shortlisted for a prestigious history award.

The small, volunteer-led charity, which cares for the recently restored 200-year-old grounds and has researched the lives of some 90 people who are buried there, is one of three southwest finalists of Findmypast's Everyday History Heroes 2026 awards.

Christina Hilsenrath, chair of trustees of the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground, said the charity was “enormously proud” of the recognition. “For a small volunteer charity caring for a small provincial Jewish burial ground, to have these stories recognised on a national stage is immensely meaningful. At a time when antisemitism is once again a growing concern, it is particularly important to celebrate the Jewish contribution to the history and heritage of Britain. These people were part of the fabric of Bath, and their stories are part of our shared history.”

Hilsenrath, who recently published a book, Jews in Bath, chronicling the lives of Bath’s Jewish 18th and 19th century Jewish community, added: “Every person buried here led a unique life, and through years of research, we have been able to rescue those individual stories from being forgotten…Bath’s Jewish community may have been small, but it was an integral part of the city’s life, as well as Jewish life in Britain.”