In the shadow of the Gherkin

Wednesday April 9 - Thursday April 10, London, England
I'm in the City of London walking round in circles in the shadow of Lord Foster's 30 St Mary's Axe (more commonly known as the Gherkin), and I'm struggling to find Bevis Marks, the oldest synagogue in Great Britain.

My poor map-reading is not entirely to blame. When the synagogue's building contract was signed on the February 12 1699 Jews were not permitted to build on the public thoroughfare, and consequently the synagogue was built in a discreet "open yard" just off what in now Bevis Marks Street.
Several calls to the cameraman later and we've found one another, the synagogue and also Maurice Bitton. Maurice is the building's curator and a lifelong worshipper at the synagogue. He recalls his Bar Mitzvah here as well as attending Schul with his father when he was only five years old. He now lives adjacent to the building and Bevis Marks seems very much in his life-blood. The interview is scheduled for the next day and today we have about five hours to film the building itself.
As is the case with buildings in the rest of the series, the synagogue looks unlike any other which we've visited previously. It possesses none of the rugged compactness of the Old New Synagogue in Prague nor the splendour of the Dohany in Budapest. Rather it has an elegance and reserve which feels distinctly Protestant -- an impression confirmed by the large bay windows which flood the building with natural light.

The explanation for this aesthetic could be down to the master builder, Joseph Avis, a Quaker carpenter who had previously worked with Christopher Wren on St Bride's in Fleet Street. But there are other influences too, most notably the Spanish and Portugese Great Synagogue in Amsterdam (which seats 1,500 to Bevis Marks' 500)
The interior is also very straightforward and includes the oldest Cromwellian benches still in use today, pleasingly crafted in dark oak. Dramatic candelabras plunge down from the ceiling and Maurice tells us that when lit, the effect can be breathtaking, particularly for evening weddings. We spend the day there and enjoy the building's restful aura and straightforward surroundings. (Perhaps Ian enjoys it slightly less, as he's the one doing all the work.)

The following morning and we've arranged to meet teacher Aysha Khanom and pupils from Halley Primary School who will be given a tour around the synagogue by Maurice. The children, perhaps a dozen in total, behave impeccably throughout the hour or so which we're with them, and ask the questions which many adults might shirk from: "Why do men and women sit in different parts of the synagogue? Where are the pictures of Jesus?" The children are mostly Muslim and they are respectful, polite and sensitive to this sacred place -- I can't remember filming with a more lovely or lively bunch of schoolkids. If anyone from Halley School is reading this -- they are a credit to the school.

Maurice too should be commended for admirably fielding the children's questions, and later on, some of mine. He knows the building inside out and has done a fair bit of television, not the least of which was taking the part of the Synagogue Beadle in the BBC's adaptation of Daniel Deronda. He offers a history of the building as well as explaining its role within the community. Interestingly, he says that a gentle revival is happenning. The synagogue has been rejuvenated by a young rabbi who is attracting many of the local Jewish city workers and once again the building is becoming popular as a regular place of worship.

It's our final location for the Judaism film and somehow appropriate. Masada, Budapest, New York, Czech Republic, Philadelphia, and now a building about 15 minutes from our offices. Or about two hours if you were to rely on my directions. (Seb Grant)