Parkhurst Prison Synagogue
Item
-
Name
-
Parkhurst Prison Synagogue
-
Dates
-
1894 - [1980]
-
Location
-
Isle of Wight
-
Type
-
Intangible
-
Description
-
The Pankhurst Prison Synagogue was established in the grounds of the prison in 1894-5 after the closure of Portsmouth Prison.
-
Portsmouth’s Jewish inmates were subsequently transferred to the Isle of Wight. According to former Jewish chaplain Brian Weisman, the synagogue ran until the 1970s or 80s, before it was closed.
In around 2010, items of Jewish worship were rediscovered in a hidden cupboard at the site, including a Sefer Torah (a hand-written scroll containing the five books of the Torah). There are currently no active synagogues on the island.
