Canterbury in Kent, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Old Canterbury Jewish Cemetery
Photographed by Jerry Klinger
1. Old Canterbury Jewish Cemetery Marker
קהילת הקודש
Old Canterbury Jewish Cemetery
Established-1760
Erected 2026 by Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, Canterbury Jewish Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. In addition, it is included in the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1760.
Location. 51° 17.077′ N, 1° 4.24′ E. Marker is in Canterbury, England, in Kent. It can be reached from Whitstable Road, on the right when traveling north. Entrance to the cemetery is at the end of a small alleyway between 26 and 28 Whitstable Road. A key is necessary to enter. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 26-28 Whitstable Road, Canterbury, England CT2 8DH, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is in the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Roper Gate (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); Canterbury West Station (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) (approx. half a kilometer away); Westgate (approx. half a kilometer away); Ian Dury (approx. 0.6 kilometers
this page online
More about this marker. Historical marker replaced after earlier markers had been, repeatedly, stolen.
Regarding Old Canterbury Jewish Cemetery. The Old Jewish Cemetery is over ~266 years old. It is one of the oldest surviving Jewish cemeteries in the U.K.
Also see . . .
1. The forgotten Jewish graveyard in Canterbury which is almost impossible to find.
The site - exclusively for Jewish burials - is steeped in history, with the first grave believed to have been dug in the 1760s and the most recent in 1930.(Submitted on February 6, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
It is one of the county's largest Jewish cemeteries, and up until the second half of last century, it was the only one of its kind in east Kent.
Gravestone inscriptions are in either Hebrew or English, with names from across Kent, southern cities including Plymouth, and even European destinations such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
2. A Disgraceful Exhibition at Canterbury Jewish Cemetery 1863. When institutional ego, vanity, and economic necessity collide.
"When in 1863, the Dover community had the grand inauguration of their new synagogue, the Canterbury community felt that too few of their number had been invited to the occasion; an event that was graced by the Chief Rabbi Dr Adler and other notables and concluded by a fine lunch for two or three hundred guests.(Submitted on February 7, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
The opportunity for the Canterbury community to make their feelings known came less than a month later."
3. The ancient synagogue of Canterbury.
A synagogue was built at that time in St Dunstans. Following the expansion of the railroads in the mid-19th century, the land was requisitioned. A new synagogue was inaugurated in 1848, thanks in part to the financial support of Moses Montefiore.(Submitted on February 7, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
4. How a 19th-century British Jew became a Zulu chieftain and slaveholding warlord. Famous internment: White, Jewish, Zulu, Warlord, Chieftain under Shaka Zulu. British, early African explorer, adventurer, entrepreneur, and contributing founder of British Natal, South Africa.
Nathaniel Isaacss life defied convention. A white Jewish Englishman who came of age during the early 19th century, he spent much of his career on the outer reaches of the British Empire in Africa. In South Africa, he won the trust of the famed indigenous leader Shaka Zulu, who made Isaacs a chieftain while pursuing bloody wars against other tribes.(Submitted on February 7, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 6, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 36 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on February 6, 2026, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
