Exploring Jewish Heritage in Dublin

Jewish history isn’t the first thing that pops to mind when imagining a visit to Ireland. But while the community here was never large, the wave of immigrants in the late 19th century had an impact on the city then and now. By the early 20th century, the Jewish community in Dublin was well enough established for it to be used as a backdrop for James Joyce’s famous novel Ulysses, which follows the fortunes of Leopold Bloom, a Dublin Jew.

If you have an interest in Jewish history and heritage, then a stroll through Dublin with a local Jewish guide will provide you with a fascinating piece of the city’s story. Joining us to share a bit more about what you’ll see on a Jewish heritage tour of Dublin is local guide Peter.

Must See Places in Jewish Dublin

Come and share with me an incredible family history. Dublin is my home town - a truly amazing city. It is a wonderful combination of Viking and Norman history, but even before the arrival of the Vikings the first Jews touched our shores. Probably they were merchants from Central Europe. Then in the late 15th Century Sephardi Jews from Spain and Portugal escaping the Spanish Inquisition arrived.

The main influx of Jewish people occurred in the late 1800s when many Jewish immigrants from Lithuania, Russia, Poland and other Russian satellite states were escaping from the Anti-Semitic regimes in those regions.

Amongst this group was Samuel Peter from Lithuania where 85% of these folk were fleeing from. Samuel was my Grandfather, and in fact I took a visit to Lithuania 3 years ago on an ancestry search and managed to find the location of the family home: quite an experience! So do come with me and explore some of the Jewish Heritage of Dublin through Samuel's eyes. I will select locations that really illustrate this wonderfully rich history that many Dubliners don’t know about: places that were active, bustling centres of Jewish life back in the late 1800s and even to this day still reflect those times.

Here are a few of the places you’ll get to explore on an intimate Jewish history tour in Dublin:

1. Bretzel Bakery. Opened in 1870 by a typical Lithuanian Immigrant and still baking wonderful Bagels and Challas 150 years later. We would start our exploration here, over coffee and treats and I can share with you many historic documents and photos showing my family history and its relationship to the Jewish Dublin you will explore.

2. The Irish Jewish Museum. This museum started life as Walworth Road Synagogue on South Circular Road, which is now beautifully preserved and part of an amazing Irish Jewish museum. It’s an essential part of any Irish Jewish visit.

3. Herzog House. Here is where our first Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Herzog lived. Father of a future Israeli President Chaim Herzog and later the home of Rabbi Jacobovits who later became Lord Jacobovits, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom.

4. Progressive Synagogue. This was Dublin's Liberal Synagogue.

5. Terenure Synagogue. The Orthodox Dublin Synagogue built in 1954.

6. Greenville Hall. This Synagogue was one of the other main Shuls servicing a vibrant Jewish community in Dublin, peaking in number at around 5500 in the 1940s-now about 1200.

7. Zion Schools. 1933 Closed in 1973 as the Jewish community moved away from this area into more affluent suburbia.

Along with these sights, I’ll also show you places with significance to my own personal history as a Jewish boy growing up in Dublin: for instance, the synagogue where I had my bar mitzvah and the home on Victoria St where my immigrant grandfather lived. It’s my goal for you to leave Dublin with an understanding of both the city’s centuries-old and more recent Jewish history, shared by someone with deep roots in the community.

To learn more about, and book, Peter's tour, click here: Jewish Heritage Dublin Tour.