Bath
© Marcus Roberts

History

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Some Jews did remain in the town, but they relied on neighboring Bristol for their Jewish life. The daughter of the late Rabbi Jacobs, Rosa, kept a kosher boarding house and restaurant. Reuben Somers, a master tailor, was resident in town from the 1880s to 1929 and kept some services at the Assembly Rooms. Other Jews were also resident in the town between 1920s -40s. There were Jewish owned businesses in Bath, such as Kerstein's. Kerstein kept a kosher Hotel from 1927- 46, at 10 Duke Street and held regular services. Thus some informal Jewish life continued in the city for some years after the close of the synagogue. The last Jewish interment in the Coombe Road cemetery occurred in 1921.

In the War-time some continental Jewish refugees came to Bath and some Jewish servicemen offered a brief effervescence of Jewish life in the city. There was a barmitvah held for a German Jewish boy, in 1941, held at Kerstein's.

In the modern day there are individual Jews living in the city and those with religious affiliations are part of the Bristol community. The staff and students of Bath University provide a continuous but fluctuating body of members. Doubtlessly the advent of mass transport and the family car has changed the pattern of Jewish life as one can in some cases live in one place and can readily 'commute' to another community, such as at nearby Bristol and count that as ones community. In more recent times efforts have been made to restore and preserve the former Jewish cemetery.

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