Hoxton Jewish Cemetery
1707-1960
The Hoxton Jewish Cemetery was established on land purchased by Mordecai Moses (aka Hamburger, aka Hambro) in 1707. A wealthy gem trader, Moses repeatedly attempted to found his own synagogue reflective of his own Jewish religious tradition. It was later called the Hambro Synagogue. Moses' synagogue was bitterly fought by the "Great Synagogue" of London with support from London's Bevis Marks Synagogue. The Great Synagogue appealed to the City of London Aldermen to deny the establishment of an alternative worship site by Moses.
Tensions arose, leading to a schismatic separation and eventual excommunication of Moses and his growing community of Jewish supporters.
The need for a Jewish burial ground was imperative since they were denied access to the existing Jewish burial sites, first authorized by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century. Moses obtained his own Rabbi, who lifted the excommunication of himself and his community.
The Hoxton Cemetery continued active interments until the late 19th century after which the site fell into disuse and decay. 1960, the Hoxton Cemetery land lease had expired. The land was repurposed and sold to support the expanding physical needs of New College, Hackney. The re-internments were poorly managed and moved to the West Ham Jewish Cemetery, where the estimated 500 remains were largely reburied in mass burials.
The records for the burials of Hoxton were mishandled and lost.
In an ironic twist of history reflecting on the evolution and development of British freedom of religious expression, New College itself was established as a Dissenting Academy in 1786. A Dissenting Academy and the British Dissenting Religious Community had long suffered from severe restrictions and religious intolerance by the Church of England for their refusal to conform to the Church of England's religious control and oversight.
Permission to place a historical interpretive marker at the former site of the Hoxton Jewish Cemetery was readily given by New College.
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