In a historic moment, the British city of York, where a medieval pogrom led to the decimation of its Jewish population, is welcoming its first rabbi in 800 years.
Rabbi Elisheva Salamo arrived in York from California last week, bringing with her decades of experience in pulpit work across the United States, Switzerland, and South Africa. She will assume a part-time pulpit role at the York Liberal Jewish Community, which is associated with a denomination similar to the American Reform movement. Established in 2014, the congregation now boasts around 100 members.
This appointment marks a significant milestone for York, a city in northern England that saw its medieval Jewish community obliterated during a pogrom in March 1190, on the Shabbat before Passover. Fleeing from anti-Semitic mobs that aimed to either forcibly convert the Jews to Christianity or eliminate them, York's Jewish residents sought refuge in a tower within the king's castle.
Realizing that survival was unlikely as troops gathered outside the tower, they made the tragic decision to take their own lives instead of converting—a choice echoed by other European Jewish communities facing anti-Semitic forces during the Crusades. Roughly 150 people are believed to have perished in the York pogrom. One century later, the Jews were expelled from England entirely, only being allowed to return in 1656.
“Being a part of rebuilding what was once a vibrant Jewish community in England is a privilege and an honor,” Salamo told The Guardian.
York is not the sole British town with a history of medieval anti-Semitism that is witnessing the revival of Jewish life. Norwich, another British town where the first recorded instance of the anti-Semitic blood libel occurred in 1144 and which also experienced a pogrom in 1190, is exploring the possibility of establishing a Jewish heritage center.
Salamo was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and studied at Reed College and Yale University, focusing on biology and cellular and molecular biology. Her website also indicates her proficiency in equestrianism.
Upon joining the community, which has been volunteer-led since its founding nearly a decade ago, Salamo's initial formal role will be to lead High Holiday services in September. The community aims to raise funds to eventually employ her full-time, as reported by the Jewish Chronicle.
“Considering York's unique history, this is an immensely significant moment not just for local Jews, but also on a national and international scale,” shared Ben Rich, co-founder of the York Liberal Jewish Community, with the Jewish Chronicle.
He added, “I hope that the entire Jewish community and its supporters worldwide will want to join us in the next phase of this remarkable journey to reintroduce Judaism to this ancient and incredibly beautiful city.” Photo by DACP, Wikimedia commons.