Guildford Jewish Community

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 Guildford Jewish Community

There was a medieval Jewish community in Guildford - 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 modern 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.