Bevis Marks was first opened in 1701 and services have been held at the Synagogue on a continuous basis since then. The Synagogue is Grade I listed and is the only Synagogue in Europe that has held regular services continuously for over 300 years.
Apart from a few minor additions over the centuries the Synagogue remains virtually unchanged. The building has survived zeppelin attacks in the First World War, the onslaught of the Luftwaffe in the Second World War and even the 1992 Baltic Exchange bombing and a further IRA bomb attack the following year during which the building sustained substantial damage.
Over the past century Bevis Marks has come to be regarded as a ‘Cathedral Synagogue’ and continues to be the venue for major ceremonial services of significance for Anglo-Jewry throughout the country.
Today the descendants of the original Spanish and Portuguese families are few, but the services and traditions have been maintained. The glowing candlelight makes it a romantic and popular choice for weddings and an atmospheric concert venue. The increasing numbers of Jewish people working in the City of London and its environs have afforded the opportunity for Bevis Marks to take on a new role of ‘the Synagogue in the Square Mile’.
