This year the Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar will take place on the 21 October commemorated with celebrations and events throughout the country. The main focus will be on Portsmouth and HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s famous flagship.
The Portsmouth Jewish Community
Geoffrey L Green
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Historically, Portsmouth has the oldest continuous Jewish community outside of London. The original synagogue of 1749 was built in White’s Row (now Curzon Howe Road) and close to the Naval Dockyard Gates in Queen Street. It was founded about 1742 by a small number of Jewish immigrants from Germany. Others followed mainly as peddlers, slop sellers (second-hand clothes men) jewellers and silversmiths, going aboard the sailing warships to trade their wares with the seamen. Twelve Jews drowned in 1758, when their small hired boat overturned in a sudden squall, whilst going alongside HMS Lancaster. Their graves are in Fawcett Road, Southsea, the Jewish burial ground, consecrated in 1747.
By 1805 the Jewish community had probably grown to about fifty families, living in Queen Street, and the narrow streets adjoining. Also, close to the famous jut of land identified as Point, in Broad Street, with fine views across the harbour. Some Jews had shops supplying Nelson’s seamen with their colourful shore-going outfits. A form of uniform without uniformity, as a regulation uniform for the Royal Navy was not laid down until 1857. A more important function for the Jewish traders was acting as Licensed Navy Agents for the seamen in collecting, on their behalf, the all-important prize money for captures made - the greatest of incentives.
The small synagogue accommodated 200 including a ladies gallery. The interior adorned with gilding, six elegant chandeliers and brazen candlesticks with the ark of solid mahogany. Decorum predominated; no one was allowed to talk; leave their seat; and the children sat throughout under strict charge of their Hebrew teacher. Religious control was kept over the members by a system of fines. In 1807 the minute book recorded one of £4.17.6 (4.87p) against a congregant for twice going aboard a man-of-war to trade on a Sabbath.
After the Napoleonic Wars ended, and the advent of the industrial revolution, the Jewish population in Portsmouth declined. Trading with the seamen had diminished as the number of warships had fallen, and work in the dockyard. However, bounties were still paid to the Royal Navy for the capture of pirates and release of slaves during anti slavery patrols. The Crimea War brought some temporary activity.
In January 1850 the first official visit to Portsmouth by a Chief Rabbi, Dr Nathan Adler, took place over a period of five days. After being met at Portsmouth Railway Station Dr Adler was chief guest at the Anniversary Dinner of the Portsmouth Hebrew Benevolent Society specially held in a hall, as the synagogue vestry was too small to hold more than 100 gentlemen and their ladies. Among the guests were the Mayor, City dignitaries, local clergy, and representatives of the Navy and Army. The band was under the direction of an officer from HMS Victory. On the Sabbath a special pew and pulpit had been fitted in the synagogue from which Dr Adler delivered an eloquent sermon. ‘He hoped that as persecution had yielded to kindness, they would never encourage discord amongst each other’. Next day, after visiting the children, a fine tea was laid by the Ladies Guild attended by Dr Adler, with his wife and mother. A handsome Tea Service presented, the silver salver having the inscription: -
‘Presented by the Hebrews of Portsmouth to the Rev. Dr N.M.Adler in testimony of their sincere admiration of his profound judgement, affectionate advice, an unwearied benevolence and noble example, and in commemoration of his first visit to their ancient congregation - 22 day of Tebeth 5610'
Next day special permission had been granted for The Chief Rabbi to visit the Dockyard. Twelve seamen in the Admiral’s barge rowed Dr Adler to HMS Victory lying on the Gosport side of the harbour. Met by the First Lieutenant, a tour of the ship was undertaken. Whether anything was said about those Jews which we now know were aboard the Victory and other ships at The Battle of Trafalgar, is uncertain. Next call was to The Royal Clarence Victualling Yard, Gosport. Particular interest being shown in the baking of biscuits for the Royal Navy by steam, as Dr Adler had just received an enquiry from New York concerning the baking of Passover cakes by steam.
The main object of the visit had proved successful, a reconciliation between Ezekiel and Emanuel Emanuel with the rest of the congregation over a prior disagreement. The Emanuels were Goldsmiths and Jewellers, holding a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, with their shops at 3, The Hard outside the Dockyard Gates, and the more fashionable 101, High Street. Emanuel Emanuel was the main benefactor and warden of the community, also one of the four Jewish Town Councillors in 1853. Two years earlier, because of the unseemly notoriety of White’s Row, it was decided to purchase and demolish a property in Queen Street. This gave access to the synagogue through a pair of handsome gates and 150 feet tree-lined avenue. Opportunity was also taken of building a residence for the minister and secretary, and four almshouses for the elderly. The community had their own Literary Society and Library. Emanuel Emanuel became the first Jewish mayor of Portsmouth in 1866, whilst his daughter Katie, an authoress, married Sir Philip Magnus of Chatham, the educationist, in 1870. This was one of a number of Jewish marriages between the naval towns of Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham.
Lewis Aria, originally from a poor family in Portsmouth, had prospered in the West Indies, endowed Aria College, close to Portsmouth Synagogue, in 1874. It was able to accommodate ten to fifteen boys as suitable candidates for the Jewish ministry on Orthodox principles. Uniquely, and at the same time, students gained a place at Portsmouth Grammar School for an excellent secular education. Aria College was destined to be in existence for about eighty years.
A source of trading for almost 100 years ended in 1865 when the Admiralty took over the payment of seamen’s prize money. Fortunately, Isaac Singer had patented his first sewing machine in 1851, with mass production well established by 1880. Pogroms in Russia and persecution against the Jews of Eastern Europe had resulted in mass immigration to the west. It has been suggested possibly 150,000 arrived in Great Britain mainly into London’s East End by 1914.
Some of these immigrants, particularly experienced tailors, found their way to Portsmouth. Not only in naval uniform tailoring for the officers, foremost being Gieves, but there had always been a flourishing clothing industry giving employment to the seamen’s wives. By 1900 there were about 500 Jews in Portsmouth with as many as ninety-two children in the Hebrew Classes. The popular minister Reverend Isaac Phillips was to serve the community for fifty-six years from 1866. Abraham Emanuel, no relation to Emanuel Emanuel, became the second Jewish mayor of Portsmouth in 1894.
Portsmouth was not a typical Victorian city, but the Dockyard, Military Garrison and Royal Navy had a strong economic influence. The seamen were issued with a uniform made by Admiralty Contractors in various small factories, which fitted like a ‘sack’. They were not satisfied, as the officers had their outfitters why not the seamen. The Jewish tailors were to fill this void, becoming naval outfitters to the seamen. The shore-going uniform was now made to measure, paid for by the seamen. From about 1880 the business developed with the majority of the firms being in Jewish hands.
With the expansion of the British Fleet from 1906 culminating in the First World War Portsmouth saw a growth in population, the Jewish community now numbered about 700. Between the wars the community continued to grow, the synagogue needing repair, and found to be too small. Many of the Jewish shopkeepers and traders instead of living over their shops had moved to the middle-class suburb of Southsea. It was decided in 1936, after much deliberation, to build a new synagogue in The Thicket, off Elm Grove Road, Southsea. Chief Rabbi Dr Hertz laid the foundation stone, with most of the fittings brought from the old synagogue. Accommodation was available for the Minister, Hebrew classes, and Communal Hall. The entrance had the historic s from the original synagogue.
Of the 67 German Air Raids on Portsmouth during the Second World War 38,000 incendiaries and 1,320 high explosives were dropped. The Guildhall, pride and inspiration of the City ruined by fire; the principal shopping centres virtually obliterated; and 6,625 homes destroyed. The ancient synagogue site in Queen Street had been reduced to rubble. The new synagogue in Southsea survived with all the windows that had incurred war damage renewed as a memorial to Geoffrey Berney. Aged 20, a former student at Aria College, killed when HMS Barham was lost in the Mediterranean
The Jewish community slowly recovered, trading continued but now with a shift to the professions. Naval outfitting became virtually extinct by 1980, as the Royal Navy declined, and the seamen were allowed to wear civilian clothes ashore. Today Portsmouth has its own university and new industries. The historic Jewish community though much reduced still survives.
When Harold Gattenberg, a Greengrocer who served the Royal Yacht, like his father before him was asked. ‘Do you think the Jewish Portsmouth community owe a lot to the Royal Navy?’ - ‘Oh yes undoubtedly, but I tell you something, we all gave a jolly good service in return’
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