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Visiting Clifford’s Tower in York, Josie meets curators Jeremy Ashbee and Sally Dixon-Smith to hear the story of the medieval massacre of the Jews. Also speaking to members of the York Liberal Jewish Community, Josie explores the modern parallels that can be drawn from this dark chapter in York's history and how local Jewish communities reflect on it today.
This episode contains graphic descriptions which some people may find upsetting. It is not suitable for younger listeners.
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Read more about the Massacre of the Jews
Read more about what happened at the site of Clifford's Tower in 1190 and explore the historical context around this tragic event. Learn about the history of the Jewish population in England, and what caused the growing hostility towards this community in the period leading up to the massacre.
Read More about the massacre at Clifford's tower
Links and Further Reading
- York Liberal Jewish Community
- History Extra – The Jews of Medieval England
- Dobson, RB, The Jews of Medieval York and the Massacre of 1190, Borthwick Papers (York, 1996)
- Huscroft, R, Expulsion: England's Jewish Solution (Stroud, 2006)
- Mundill, R, The King’s Jews: Money, Massacre and Exodus in Medieval England (London and New York, 2010)
- Rees-Jones, S and Watson, S (eds), Christians and Jews in Angevin England: The York Massacre of 1190, Narratives and Contexts (Woodbridge and York, 2013)
- Roth, C, A History of the Jews in England (Oxford, 1941)
Episode Credits
Presenter: Josie Long
Producer: Katharine Kerr for Fresh Air
Contributors:
- Jeremy Ashbee – Head Properties Curator, English Heritage
- Sally Dixon-Smith – Collections Curator, The Tower of London
- Ben Rich – Trustee, York Liberal Jewish Community
- Shannon Kirshner – Trustee, York Liberal Jewish Community
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