Maquette of medieval Jewish businesswoman unveiled in London
Campaign for statue of 13th century Jewish businesswoman in Winchester comes to London in bid to raise funds
A maquette of a Jewish medieval businesswoman from Winchester’s Jewry Street is set to be unveiled in London this week, as part of a fundraising campaign for a proper statue.
Licoricia, a highly-educated woman who raised funds for Henry III and Queen Eleanor, was a member of the nationally significant medieval Jewish community in Winchester and the most famous of its successful businesswomen.
Jews are recorded as living in Winchester from 1148, and by the 13th century the Jewish community in the city was one of the most important in England.
However, a series of blood libel claims led to the hanging of community leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue he headed. Simon de Montfort ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264. Shortly after, all Jews were expelled from England.
Now, Winchester’s residents are fundraising for a bronze life-size statue of Licoricia and her son Asser outside the Discovery Centre in Winchester, near where she lived more than 700 years ago.
Backers say it will have “important educational purposes and promote religious tolerance and the role of women in society…It will educate people about the city’s important medieval Jewish community, its achievements and its persecution”.
Sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, who was commissioned by Princes William and Harry to complete a statue of their mother, Diana, has been lined up to produce the piece by the Licoricia of Winchester Statue Appeal, led by historian and author Simon Sebag-Montefiore, who is the appeal’s patron.
Campaigners for a statue will unveil the maquette at the Art Worker’s Guild in London on Thursday between 12.30 and 14.00.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
