Garnethill Synagogue opened in 1879, the first purpose-built synagogue in Scotland. It is now a Category A listed building and retains its original stained glass windows, furniture and fittings. The synagogue remains an active place of worship, and also houses The Scottish Jewish Archives Centre and the newly-opened Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre, which incorporates the Scottish Holocaust-era Study Centre. Our displays show the development and contribution of the Jewish community to Scotland over the past 200 years, and the Scottish Holocaust-era Study Centre provides an opportunity to explore this critical time period in more depth.
Join a tour of our beautiful building and hear how the first Jewish congregation made an impact on Victorian Glasgow, and how Scottish people helped Jews find safety from Nazi-occupied Europe.
Tours include the Synagogue Prayer Hall and take in the displays throughout the building:
• Glasgow’s Jewish roots and the building of Garnethill Synagogue.
• A New Life in Scotland – A permanent exhibition on the Jewish immigrants settling in Scotland, from the late 1700s through to the present day communities.
• Scotland a Sanctuary – Exhibition in the Succah on the refugees who arrived in Scotland in the 1930s and 1940s, and how people from all backgrounds helped those in peril.
• A new and very handsome Synagogue – A special exhibition on the development of Garnethill Synagogue. Find out about the lives of congregation members at the time.
