Leo Baeck Institute London

We are delighted to share that the LBI London library collection has now arrived at Senate House Library, following its transfer from Mile End Library at Queen Mary University of London in mid-May.

This milestone marks the completion of a project spanning more than two years, made possible through the dedication and collaboration of many colleagues. We are especially grateful to the teams at Senate House Library and Queen Mary for their support throughout the process.

The latest feature in the Leo Baeck Institute’s Meet the Fellows series introduces Ahuvia Goren. His PhD research on early modern Jewish Italian thought explored doubt and scepticism among Italian-Jewish thinkers in light of new scientific ideas, humanist scholarship and religious controversies.

Can you briefly describe your doctoral research project for a non-specialist audience?  What inspired you to pursue this topic?

The 23rd of May marks the birth anniversary of Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck, the namesake of our Institute. A scholar, teacher, and leader, Baeck remains a representative figure of moral resilience and intellectual courage within German-Jewish history.

We are proud to mark the UK’s first nationwide Jewish Culture Month (16 May – 15 June 2026).

Initiated by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, this major new festival brings together more than 100 events across the country, spanning art, history, food, music, and comedy. It offers a timely opportunity to engage with the richness and diversity of British Jewish life.

Rabbi Leo Baeck stands at the centre of German-Jewish history, yet his life and thought are often known only in outline. Two recent episodes of the Exile podcast from the LBI New York invite listeners to engage more closely with the person behind the name, following his trajectory from provincial rabbi to moral authority under National Socialism. 

The Library of Lost Books project has grown again. Building on two years of international engagement, we are pleased to introduce the Lost Books Lab Baden-Württemberg, which was launched on 1 May 2026.

Funded by the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung’s ‘Education against Anti-Semitism’ programme, the Lab brings together the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies, the Friends and Sponsors of the Leo Baeck Institute, and the LBI Jerusalem.

Its focus is the professional sphere: trainees and employees work hands-on with looted books, learning how antisemitism operated through administrative and corporate structures, and reflecting on what this history means for practices of inclusion today.

18 May marks the birthday of Theodor Herzl, born in 1860. A lawyer, journalist, and political activist, Herzl was the founder of the modern Zionist movement. His 1896 publication The Jewish State set out the intellectual and political framework for what would become the modern Zionist project. Living at a time of rising antisemitism in Europe, Herzl dedicated himself to finding a political solution for the Jewish people, and his ideas continue to shape research and discussion today.

The latest feature in the Leo Baeck Institute’s Meet the Fellows series introduces Alisha Meininghaus, whose PhD research on Jewish childbirth amulets from the 17th to the 19th century sheds light on a relatively unexplored field, connecting Jewish women’s history, material religion and the history of printing.

Can you briefly describe your doctoral research project for a non-specialist audience?  What inspired you to pursue this topic?

The latest feature in the Leo Baeck Institute’s Meet the Fellows series introduces Meyrav Levy, whose research examines mediaeval Jewish prayer books, known as mahzorim, and how they fostered multi-sensory, immersive, and emotional experiences for worshipers.

Can you briefly describe your doctoral research project for a non-specialist audience? What inspired you to pursue this topic?