Jewish Museum and Special Exhibition

We visit Jewish Museum London at its interim HQ to see this new special exhibition, led by its curator. Followed by Lyons-inspired cream tea!

Legacy: The Story of the Jewish Family who founded J. Lyons and fed Britain. 

Open until 15 November 2026, Legacy tells the story of the Salmon and Gluckstein dynasty, two families that became one, who fled violent persecution in Europe, and became the architects of the largest catering company in the world. From their legendary teashops and cornerhouses to building the Strand Palace Hotel, baking the wedding cake for Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the infamous 'Nippies' waiting staff, this exhibition offers a captivating insight into the evolution of catering through the 20th century.

London Historians Members only. Join London Historians.

All ticket proceeds from this event goes to the museum and its upkeep.

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Jewish Museum London

The Jewish Museum was founded in 1932 by Professor Cecil Roth, Alfred Rubens and Wilfred Samuel. Originally located in Woburn House in Bloomsbury, it moved to an elegant early Victorian listed building in Camden Town in 1994.

The London Museum of Jewish Life was founded in 1983 at the Museum of the Jewish East End with the aim of rescuing and preserving the disappearing heritage of London's East End - the heartland of Jewish settlement in Britain. While the East End has remained an important focus, the museum expanded to reflect the diverse roots and social history of Jewish people across London including the experiences of refugees from Nazism. It also developed acclaimed programme of Holocaust and anti-racist education.

In 1995 the two Museums were amalgamated. Following years of planning and fundraising the museum bought a former piano factory behind the Camden Town site and raised the required funds to combine and remodel the buildings. The new museum opened to the public on 17 March 2010 and its award winning education and exhibition programmes have attracted popular and critical acclaim.

In June 2023 Jewish Museum London announced the sale of the building in Camden in order to develop plans for a new museum, fit for the future, more sustainable and in a more prominent location. In the meantime, the Museum continues to share its collection with the broadest possible range of audiences, both in person and online.

Jewish Museum London has recently moved to its new interim home, TWO ROOMS, on the top floor of JW3, Finchley Road, NW3, where it will be based until a new permanent home can be secured - hopefully by 2030.