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The Jews of Leeds

Film-maker Simon Glass explores his family history and tells the story of the Yorkshire Jews in the early 20th century.

Film-maker Simon Glass explores his family history and tells the story of the Yorkshire Jews in the early 20th century. Thousands of migrants arrived by boat on the east coast of England and lived in a run-down slum area of Leeds known as the Leylands. Simon discovers stories of hardship and anti-Semitism, but also success and progress as many Jews moved out of the Leylands to the more affluent suburbs. He also travels to eastern Europe where he makes a shocking discovery about what happened to his relatives who did not migrate to Britain.

59 minutes

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About the programme

About the programme
Film maker Simon Glass explores the ‘lost world’ of the Jews in Yorkshire in the early 20th Century.


Hundreds of thousands of Jewish migrants and refugees travelled from the Baltic states of Russia to British ports between 1880-1920. 

Many were fleeing poverty and persecution; some worked and settled in Leeds, where they lived in a notorious run-down area known as the Leylands.

They arrived with little money, but hoped and dreamed of a brighter future. 

Many Jewish people, like Simon’s great grand-father, worked long hours in the booming tailoring industry.

Simon discovers stories of hardship, welfare among the community, anti-Semitism and the rise of Fascism and the Black Shirts.

But he also hears of success and progress as people moved out to the more affluent suburbs before the ‘slums’ of the Leylands were demolished.

Simon travels to Lithuania and Belarus to find out more about his family roots, and what happened to those who did not make the journey to Leeds. 

In an emotional journey he makes shocking discoveries about what happened as the horrors of World War Two unfold.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Simon Glass
Series Producer Diana Hare
Executive Producer Tony Parker

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