A Historic First as Lady Mayor of the City of London Is Honoured at Bevis Marks
The Lady Mayor of the City of London has been welcomed at Bevis Marks Synagogue for a thanksgiving service that marked a quiet but significant moment in the Square Mile’s civic life. Dame Susan Langley, who took office last week as the first woman ever to hold the role, became the first non-Jewish Lord Mayor to be honoured at Europe’s oldest synagogue in continuous use.
Speaking after the service, Dame Susan reflected on her longstanding ties to the area.
“I grew up in parts of east London steeped in Jewish history,” she said. “At a time when the evil of antisemitism is yet again on the rise, I pledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community and others throughout my mayoralty and beyond. There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind in our City.”
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Read the full storyA moment of symbolism
Three former Lord Mayors joined congregants for prayers for the Royal Family and a rendition of the National Anthem in both English and Hebrew. The synagogue community presented Dame Susan with a silver kiddush cup bearing the Bevis Marks emblem, a gesture she described as “deeply humbling”.
Bevis Marks stands in the Aldgate ward, where Dame Susan has served as Alderwoman since 2018. Its history is intertwined with that of London itself, with a continuous record stretching back more than three centuries. The congregation’s leader, Rabbi Shalom Morris, who last week received the Freedom of the City of London, said the moment represented both gratitude and continuity.
“For centuries the City of London has been a safe haven for Jewish people, and the Lady Mayor has always been a great friend to Bevis Marks Synagogue,” he said. “It therefore felt right to reflect our gratitude in this way. We hope this will now become an annual service in the City’s civic calendar.”
Looking ahead to a new visitor centre
The Bevis Marks Heritage Foundation will open its new visitor centre early next year, creating a space for its distinctive collection and inviting visitors from around the world to explore the synagogue’s history. The project has received £240,000 through the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund, administered by the City of London Corporation.
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