Church of England Celebrates Tercentenary of Return of Jews

Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, was host today at a garden party at Lambeth Palace to mark the tercentenary of the return of Jews to England. Some 1,000 guests attended the affair, which was under the auspices of the Council of Christians and Jews, of which the Archbishop is the senior president.

A unique feature of the reception was the fact that it was catered under the supervision of the Kashruth Commission, a precedent for an affair at the home of the head of the Anglican Church. Among the guests were Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie, Israel. Ambassador Eliahu Elath, members of the British Government, high church officials, senior judges and both Jewish and non-Jewish personalities in the field of the arts, as well as Jewish communal leaders. At an informal ceremony, Viscount Samuel, head of the Tercentenary Council, presented the Archbishop with a special commemorative medal struck for the Tercentenary.

In a letter to the Council of Christians and Jews, Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary expressed Her Majesty’s interest in the garden party and noted that “in these days when the principles of religious and racial toleration are challenged in so many ways, Her Majesty rejoices that this outstanding anniversary in the life of her people should be marked by such a gathering of Christians and Jews. I am commanded to express the Queen’s good wishes as a patron of the Council for the success of the occasion and for the continuance of cooperation between Christians and Jews which it so well expresses,” the letter concluded.