JEWISH treasures gathered over two centuries are going on display in North Oxford.

To celebrate 175 years of the Oxford Jewish Congregation, an exhibition of artefacts is taking place at the synagogue in Richmond Road.

Exhibits gathered during the lifetime of the congregation include a new Ark housing seven Torah scrolls, an indenture document from 1931, relating to a transfer of items from the defunct Canterbury synagogue, and the original board showing the Decalogue – The 10 Commandments – from the old synagogue on the site.

One of the Torah scrolls is thought to be 250 years old, but Oxford’s Jewish heritage dates back much further.

Isaac Garson, a member of the Congregation, curated the displays with Judy Silver and Lynne Ward.

He said: “We are really excited by this exhibition.

“We looked in every nook and cranny of the Oxford Jewish Centre and it has been amazing to discover how much we have that is of interest for a variety of reasons.

“Some of these items are of sentimental interest to the Congregation, while some are of historical interest, not just telling us about the Congregation itself but also about the lives of some of our members.

“And they also have relevance in terms of the life of the Congregation in Oxford.”

Oxford had a well-documented medieval Jewish community and in 2013 a detailed history of the period went on show at the Town Hall.

Artefacts included a medieval doorway that once led to a vast array of underground tunnels connecting homes in the Jewish quarter – in what is now St Aldate’s, then called the Great Jewry.

The Jews played a very important role in Oxford’s history until they were expelled from the city in 1290. They did not return to the UK until 1665.

As one of the activities to mark the 175th anniversary of the Congregation, it was decided to raise funds for a new Ark.

Chaplains from Oxford colleges, as well as faith groups from across the city, raised £3,850 towards the cost.

The Ark is used to store the handwritten scrolls containing the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.

Penny Faust, a former President of the Oxford Jewish Congregation, now a member of the congregation’s council, took part in a Holocaust memorial service at the Town Hall last month.

She said: “The scrolls are very precious objects, handwritten on parchment, and easily damaged. The Ark that we had was not fireproof, waterproof or lockable.”

A service for members of the conversation and invited guests to celebrate the 175th anniversary will take place on Sunday evening.

Email igarson1@gmail.com