Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) was transformed into a circus when a team of performers visited to tell the story of a German Jewish circus family through narrative, performance and music.

The event was the brainchild of Rabbi Miri Lawrence (pictured), from Ealing Liberal Synagogue, who has a keen interest in the history of Jewish circus families and performs as a circus artist in her spare time.

Together with her colleagues from My Aerial Home – an aerial circus school in South East London – she told the story of the Blumenfelds, the first German Jewish family to establish an independent circus enterprise in 1811. Spanning over a century, the show recounted how they became the first travelling German-Jewish circus family and one of the leading circus enterprises of the German Empire.

The story emphasised that the Blumenfelds were committed to their Jewish heritage. From the times of their humble beginnings as fairground performers until their golden age of performing, they were practising Jews, speaking a dialect that was a mix of French, Yiddish, Romani and technical circus terms. This reflected the way in which the customs of circus folk and their Jewish ancestry were significant to them.

Throughout the telling of the story, the narrative was interspersed with a variety of performances, taking place on a rig specially constructed in the Synagogue for the occasion. Acts ranged from trapeze artists working on hoops, nettings and slings as well as weightlifters and tight-rope walkers. Audience participation was encouraged and a number of KLS members – young and old – had a go at the tight-rope and the sling.

Speaking after the event, Rabbi René Pfertzel of KLS said “What an incredible evening! Nothing like this has ever been seen at KLS before and it was wonderful to see so many members, and all generations, of the community enjoying the performances – as well as taking part. I am enormously grateful to my friend and colleague Rabbi Miri Lawrence and her colleagues from My Aerial Home for putting on such an amazing show. It will never be forgotten.”

Picture by Dan Pluck, Pluck Photography.