Plan your school visit​

We offer pupils a tailored experience to support their learning on Judaism, immigration and the Holocaust era. We have several spaces available during a visit; the historic Synagogue, the Scottish Holocaust-era Study Centre, and an operational kosher kitchen, plus displays in the Succah to support studies of the Holocaust and refugees to Scotland.

We hope that visiting will helping pupils to understand Scotland’s Jewish heritage and demonstrate its place in the wider Scottish history and culture.

We welcome primary and secondary pupils from all backgrounds. Please note that the Learning Kits are designed for upper primary and secondary-age students. Non-school groups are also very welcome to visit the Synagogue, please contact the Heritage Centre by email or phone to discuss what we can offer. Travel subsidies are available to help support a visit – see section below for information.

If you are planning to travel by coach, please note that we are located within Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone.

To help you plan a school visit, we offer a number of options, which can be combined, or download the full menu below:

School Visit Options

1. Synagogue Tour

A guided visit around the oldest purpose-built synagogue in Scotland, opened in 1879 and still used as a place of worship.

Students will learn about the features of the building, view a Torah scroll and have the opportunity to try on a prayer shawl and head covering.

 

 

2. Kashrut- Jewish Dietary Laws

Visit the Synagogue kitchen and see how it is designed to meet kosher rules. Explore the Jewish dietary laws set out in the Torah that still underpin the Jewish way of life for many.

dietry laws
identity document

 3. Immigration –
A New Life in Scotland

Find out where Scotland’s Jews came from, their reasons for migration and what they did here. Students will learn about individuals who came to Scotland and find out about the immigrant experience.

4. Learning Kits: Refugee Stories

Working in small groups, pupils find out about an individual who came to Scotland as a refugee before the outbreak of the Second World War. The Kits are based on original archival material and interviews.

dietry laws
identity document

5. Scotland a Sanctuary

The display in the Succah includes an illustrated timeline and panels showing events leading up to the Holocaust in Germany, how people responded in Scotland and how refugees found safety here.

For full information about all visit options:

Book a School Visit

To enquire about booking a school visit, please download and email the enquiry form to schools@sjhc.org.uk or phone 0141 332 4151 to discuss further:

Apply for a Travel Subsidy

We are part of the Scottish Government’s Heritage Travel Subsidy for Schools Scheme. Scottish schools can apply for up to 75% of transport costs (up to £300) for each class visit to the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre. The scheme is administered by Historic Environment Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, and requires a simple application form to be submitted to them – see this page for more information and for the form. 

Thanks to generous assistance from our funders, we are able to offer some additional financial assistance in appropriate circumstances, to schools for travel costs that fall outwith the Scottish Government’s scheme. Please contact schools@sjhc.org.uk for more information.

Cancellation Policy

We can refund school visits which are cancelled more than 24 hours before the scheduled start time. If a cancellation or rescheduling is requested within 24 hours, the original booking must be paid for.

Add Donation

£