Much of Jewish burial practice has endured for centuries but the ways funerals were done in the 1890s and today differ in significant ways. A deeper look at Willesden Jewish Cemetery allows us an insight into the shifting status of Jews in Victorian English society.
In this zoom webinar emerging historian Zelda Feldman will explore a little known aspect of Victorian London. She asks how the cemetery’s own history can be interpreted to tell us more about the lives and beliefs of people buried here and shows how Willesden’s own customs borrowed from other cultures.
Drawing on records of Jewish funeral traditions uncovered in research by the House of Life, from the role of the undertaker to symbols on memorials, Zelda will take us on a whistle-stop tour of some of the most noteworthy Jewish funerals of the day.
This event is part of a digital series focusing on different aspects of death hosted by the House of Life at Willesden Jewish Cemetery, encouraging more people to talk about death, as part of life.
Biography
Zelda Feldman is a volunteer with the House of Life who helps host monthly Death Cafes. She is also a guide at Highgate Cemetery. She says: “I was born and raised in Highgate, in North London. I attended the University of York from 2017-2020, graduating with a BA in English Literature and History of Art. I love reading and am passionate about history. I plan on going back to university soon to get an MA in Victorian and Romantic literary studies!”
