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Rainbow Jews: LGBTQI+ Heritage
Date
2013 – 2018
Location
London
Awards
Principal’s Prize for Academic Achievement, Queen Mary, University of London
THE CHALLENGE
The intersection of Jewish and LGBT identities in the United Kingdom represents a unique, often overlooked heritage. The challenge was to uncover, record, and celebrate these stories, ensuring they were preserved within the national record before they were lost.
OUR APPROACH
Founding Director Dr James Lesh led the research for this landmark project, supported by the UK Heritage Lottery Fund and Liberal Judaism:
► Community Curation: We facilitated a deep engagement program—collecting oral histories, objects, and archival material—to build a permanent collection at the London Metropolitan Archives.
► Public Engagement: The research was translated into accessible exhibitions at the London School of Economics and the Leicester LGBT Centre, alongside academic analysis for the US journal Change Over Time.
THE OUTCOME
This project successfully established the first national archive of LGBT Jewish history in the UK. It demonstrated how heritage practice can validate diverse identities and preserve the tangible evidence of minority communities.
