Hi Derek, so tell us about your connection to Leeds?
I am originally from Birmingham and came to Leeds as a student in 1958, subsequently gaining three degrees from Leeds University. Though I have had professional roles elsewhere, including as professor of English history at University of California, Los Angeles, as a senior civil servant in Whitehall and as vice chancellor at Teesside University, my wife Ruth and I have had a family home in Leeds since 1965. Despite my half century as a Leeds citizen, it is amusing to find that I am still sometimes regarded as an outsider.
How did you come to focus your research efforts on the local Jewish community?
I have done extensive research on Leeds, dating from my PhD which was on Leeds 19th century political history. The city has featured prominently in my published books and articles and I edited A History of Modern Leeds (1980) which some of your readers may have consulted from time to time. I have given lectures on Jewish history both locally and nationally. I have been aware through researching my lectures that there has been a major gap in historical studies, with Leeds having no ‘urban Jewish biography’, comparable to many other British cities. In recent years I have heard widespread comment about the need for such a history and I hope that our book will fill that void.
Tell us about the process behind creating a “definitive history” – how did you begin such a daunting task?
All of us who write about Leeds Jewish history are in debt to previous authors, primarily Louis Saipe and Murray Freedman, and the book builds on the foundations they laid. Interest in the history of our community has been greatly stimulated by the pioneering and impressive collection of words and images in From the Leylands to Leeds 17, edited by Diane Saunders and Philippa Lester.
With this inheritance of local studies, our book seeks to enhance our understanding of the factors which shaped our community, through extensively researched chapters on periods and themes, which produce the definitive history of the community. I was acutely aware that such a history was probably not within one individual historian’s current expertise and therefore a collective approach was required.
Tell us how you’ve found corralling such a number of contributors and collating their work?
Much credit is due to Malcolm Sender of the Leeds Jewish Historical Society and Michael Meadowcroft, former Leeds MP, who actively promoted the idea that the time was ripe for this history to be written. Once I agreed to edit the volume, there was the formidable task to identify the authors and find a publisher. I used my own knowledge of the field and peppered specialist Jewish academics with queries for historians who might join in the enterprise.
We have 13 authors (only three of whom were born in Leeds) who are a good blend of academics and what I might call enthusiasts who have developed their historical expertise after having pursued other careers. This is the fifth book I have edited so I am familiar with the challenges associated with pulling together the work of a team of historians, who in this case have been exemplary in fulfilling their tasks.
How far does the book go towards shedding new light on the history of the community?
Each author has done new research for their contribution and the book as a whole reveals much new information and perspectives. I stressed to our authors that while the work had to be based on scholarly research, it had to be written in a manner which would be accessible to the general reader. I think we have achieved this and I hope that people will find the book an interesting and enjoyable read.
What are the most significant ways Leeds’ Jews have shaped the city?
The contribution of Jews to the tailoring industry is well known, with Burtons at the pinnacle of a network of large and small companies. Other industries, such as furniture making, were developed by Jewish entrepreneurs and from the mid-20th century there was growing Jewish involvement in these professions. Successful business leaders have been benefactors for a wide range of Leeds institutions and, for example, it was said that the late Arnold Ziff deserved the title of “Mr Leeds”. What we can say is that the contribution of the Jewish community to the economic, social and cultural life of Leeds has been disproportionately large given its size.
With your chapter focusing on the community’s famously philanthropic attitude, do you feel a community’s stance towards welfare says a lot about its identity?
One of my main interests has been welfare history and I have sometimes been called “Fraser of the Welfare State” because of my book, ‘The Evolution of the British Welfare State’.
My chapter, Philanthropy and Fellowship shows how charitable activity acted as a cohesive force for a community which for long periods was riven by religious disputes. It was interesting to trace the changing face of Jewish welfare as it responded to demographic, social and policy changes.
Is there any significance to the timing of the publication as a reflection on recent immigration debates?
The book was not influenced by the current immigration debate, but from the outset I knew that migration would be a prominent theme. Much of the current rhetoric sees immigration as a problem with wholly negative connotations and it is widely accepted that opposition to immigration was a key factor in people voting for Brexit. Yet as our book clearly demonstrates, an immigrant community can add value to the host society.
What is also very clear is that the Jewish community was able to integrate itself into Leeds life while maintaining a clear Jewish identity. Integration without assimilation!
Leeds and its Jewish Community: A History will be published by Manchester University Press in the spring.