England holds an important place in Jewish history – and also in the history of antisemitism. Sadly, this form of racist hate has again become central to political discourse in this country and worldwide. In these important histories, Norwich has a particular significance, and there is no better place to illuminate them than Jurnet’s House.  

 

Located on King Street in Norwich, it was the residence of Isaac Jurnet, a significant patron of Jewish learning and the financier responsible for the construction of Norwich Cathedral. As one of the best preserved and the oldest Jewish houses in England, it is a touchstone to the history of English Jewry and the diaspora experience in the heart of a city where in 1144 the notorious blood libel had its origin.

 

The story of Norwich Jews is the story of Norwich. Jews came to England following the Norman Conquest and remained until 1290, when they were expelled by an edict of Edward I. This was the first expulsion of Jews from a European country. One of the exiles was Meir ben Eliyahu, or Meir of Norwich, medieval England’s greatest Hebrew poet. Before that, Norwich was home to one of the country’s most important Jewish communities. Yet in 1144, it had been accused of the ritual murder of a small boy called William. Though there is no evidence that this killing took place, the cult of ‘Saint William’ and the antisemitic ‘blood libel’ took off, spawning copycats across Europe for centuries, inciting antisemitic violence everywhere. Sad evidence of an 1190 massacre of Norwich Jews was uncovered with the bodies found buried in a well at Chapelfield. DNA matches confirm the legacy of Norwich’s medieval population in contemporary Ashkenazi (central/eastern European) Jewry, many representatives of which are in Norwich today. These are all parts of the many significant and contrasting stories that need to be told today in the so-called ‘City of Stories’.

 

The vision is for Jurnet’s House to be  reimagined. Using advanced inter-active multimedia technology, the lives of its inhabitants from the 12th Century onwards are recreated taking its audience on an ambitious and engaging journey. It starts with the family of Isaac Jurnet the philanthropist Jew, through the Blood Libel of 1144 to the wealthy aristocrats of the Cooke and Paston family and the brewing successes of the 19th and 20th Century.

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Considering en route the importance of privilege and faith, trade and empire Jurnet’s House becomes a touchstone for the city and its diverse communities. A sustainable centre of learning, a place for the understanding of historic and contemporary issues and for raising awareness of the history and reality of contemporary prejudice.Sustained as an important national and international educational and tourist destination, with a mixed business model including valuable residential housing, Jurnet's House together with the adjacent Wensum Lodge improvements will add decisively to the regeneration of East Norwich and its new Cultural Quarter.

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The project will take inspiration from the Canal House Museum and the Anne Frank Haus in Amsterdam, the work being done by Museums in the Metaverse in Scotland, the Digital Heritage World Congress in Sienna and other innovative heritage and cultural experiences. Jurnet’s House aims to work with the young talent of Norwich and East Anglia, partnering with UEA, Norwich University of the Arts and the local community to develop both the concepts and the technology.

 

Led by a dedicated and highly skilled Board of Trustees and advisors, Jurnets House is a Registered Charity No 1207900.It is  working to advance the project in close collaboration with Norwich City Council and in association with the University of East Anglia. Close to the ambitious East Norwich regeneration project and the world-renowned Writing Centre, Jurnet’s House aims to become a significant part of Norwich’s new Cultural Quarter.

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Marian and Peter Prinsley, Monica Petzal and Oren Margolis are leading on this important project. They can be reached by email  jurnetshouse@gmail.com