Town of Guildford
Guildford, the county town of Surrey (although not currently its administrative centre), in southeast England, has a population of about 70,000. Guildford was a municipal borough until 1974, when it merged with the Guildford Rural District to form the local government district, later borough, of Guildford, within the county of Surrey.
The Jewish Community
A chamber was discovered in Guildford High Street in 1995, which is widely believed to be the remains of a twelfth century synagogue. If is indeed the remains of a synagogue, it is likely to be the oldest remaining synagogue structure in Western Europe.
The Jewish community is believed to date back to the early twentieth century. During World War II, a number of Jews were evacuated to Guildford and United Synagogue Membership Group was formed. The community grew following the war, although a synagogue was not built until 1979.
The following are the only Jewish congregation known to have existed in Guildford in modern times:
Jewish Population Data
|
1965 1980 1985 1990 1997 2004 |
- ca.100 (The Jewish Year Book 1966) - ca.150 (The Jewish Year Book 1981) - ca.120 (The Jewish Year Book 1986) - 125 (The Jewish Year Book 1991) - 100 (The Jewish Year Book 1998) - 383 (The Jewish Year Book 2005) |
Other Guildford Information
Bibliography, Local Research Libraries and other sources 
Jewish Property and Heritage &
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