Jewish Military Museum

With thousands of objects in its collection, this unique museum commemorates the services and sacrifices of Jews in Britain’s armed forces

Located in Camden Town, the Jewish Museum London tells the story of British Jewish life, history and identity. As well as containing an international-level collection of Jewish art and artefacts, the Jewish Museum has also been the home to the Jewish Military Museum since 2015. Containing over 5,000 objects, the Military Museum is a treasure chest of fascinating history and memorabilia belonging to Jewish servicemen and women who fought and often lost their lives serving their country at war.

The collection includes personal diaries, letters, medals, uniforms and souvenirs. Key objects include Thomas Gould’s Victoria Cross, which was awarded to him for bravery on the submarine HMS Thrasher during WWII. Other awards include the medals of Corporal Henry Jessell, who fought in the Crimean War. Jessell’s medals from the 1850s are the oldest in the collection but he lived until his late nineties to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in 1928.

There are also fascinating documents such as handwritten posters by Reverend Michael Adler, the first Jewish chaplain to serve on the front line during WWI. Other WWI artefacts include the diary of Florence Greenberg (née Oppenheimer) who served as a hospital ship nurse during the Gallipoli Campaign. Visitors can additionally access the WWI online resource For King and Country as well as the Remember Me learning workshop for primary and secondary school students.

MEMBERS OF 1ST BATTALION JEWISH BRIGADE IN THE BRITISH ARMY, C.1944

THE JEWISH MUSEUM LONDON IS LOCATED ON ALBERT STREET, A FEW MINUTES’ WALK FROM CAMDEN TOWN TUBE STATION