Ask a Jewish person if they’ve heard of Clifton College, and you’ll likely be met with a story about a cousin, a sibling, or a friend who walked its halls. In the 1990s, the school was home to over 100 Jewish students, most of whom boarded at Polack’s House. However, by 2004, those numbers had dipped, leading to the difficult decision to close Britain’s longest-running Jewish boarding house.
More than 20 years later, I’m often asked: is there Jewish life at Clifton today?
It might come as a surprise, but Jewish life isn't just surviving at Clifton—it’s thriving.The school boasts a dedicated Jewish Life Programme and, remarkably, a synagogue on site.
Clifton College is a co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 3-18 in the beautiful city of Bristol. The Polack’s Centre, in the heart of the school’s campus, serves as both a place of worship (complete with an ark, Torah scrolls, and an eternal light) and a vibrant community hub.
Every Friday, students gather here to light candles and make kiddush. It’s a space for our weekly ethical debates club, morning assemblies, and Modern Hebrew lessons. In fact, Clifton College is the only school in the South West of England to offer Hebrew as a modern language from year 7 through to GCSE.
Our Jewish Life Programme is so robust that Clifton College is the only non-Jewish school to hold a partial PaJeS (Partnership for Jewish Schools) membership. Their support was instrumental in preparing me to teach our most recent cohort for their Hebrew GCSEs (who I am thrilled to say achieved exceptionally high grades).
Clifton’s Jewish community is a beautiful mosaic. We have students joining us from across the globe – from Ukraine to Finchley, from Russia to Nigeria, and a few Israelis too. We created a safe, welcoming space for the students to be themselves and to see each other as friends irrespective of the political climate.
This diversity means that every Friday night, the table is filled with different perspectives on what it means to be Jewish. Unsurprisingly, these make for some brilliant, spirited discussions!
Life here is a blend of tradition and secular integration. You could say it's a study in "productive contradictions":
On one hand, the Jewish students have a short Shabbat morning service where they sing tefillot and hear about the parashah; but on the other, most choose the option of joining their peers in Saturday morning lessons immediately afterwards. Our students are able to have a strong Jewish identity, whilst being fully integrated in the wider school community
On one hand, we offer kosher meat at every meal- sourced with a hechsher and prepared in dedicated kosher pots and pans. While on the other hand, it is cooked in a non-kosher kitchen and served on the same school plates used for treif. For most of our students, this level of kashrut meets a pragmatic standard: as we often say, if you’re comfortable eating a vegetarian meal at Pizza Express, then it’s good enough for your family.
Beyond the curriculum and the food, there is a profound sense of mishpachah. Students often describe our Friday night suppers as a rare moment to step out of their usual teenage dramas and relax with students of different ages. Just last week, after bensching, I watched a 16-year-old student (whose father happens to be a Chess Grandmaster) play against a 10-year-old. He gently coached him to improve his game.
Clifton College may not have the numbers it had in its "heyday," but the Jewish Life Programme is vibrant and the pupils are proud to be Jewish.
It is an honour to be a part of it.
Dr Shelly Braude is the Jewish life co-ordinator and Hebrew teacher at Clifton College JewishLife@cliftoncollege.com
To get more from community, click here to sign up for our free community newsletter.