An exclusive preview screening of A Very British History – The Jews of Leeds.

The Jews of Leeds is part of a brand new BBC series, A Very British History, exploring key moments affecting cultural groups and communities across England. In this programme, Leeds born film director Simon Glass tells the story of thousands of Jews who migrated from Russia to Yorkshire in the 1890s and early 1900s.

Simon’s own family originates from Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus and like thousands of others, they travelled from the Russian Empire to Hull and Grimsby escaping persecution, pogroms and poverty, and dreaming of a better life for their children.

The documentary follows Simon’s journey back to Vilnius in Lithuania – once known as the ‘Jerusalem of the North’, a place his family talked about when he was growing up in Yorkshire.
Tracing his family history he also travels over the border into Belarus where he makes remarkable discoveries about his family members who stayed behind in Vashilishok, a predominantly Jewish village.

The exclusive preview will be followed by a Q&A discussion with Simon Glass.