Polack’s House and the Jewish Community at Clifton College

Polack’s House at Clifton College, founded in 1878, was the first Jewish Boarding House in an English public school. The history of the Jewish Boarding House at Clifton is closely connected to one particular family – the Polack family who provided four housemasters, over three generations and 89 years. The House, particularly in the early years, was also closely connected with the Anglo-Jewish Community. It attracted boys (and later girls) from the principal Jewish communities in Great Britain. Clifton College is the only public school with its own synagogue, enabling Jewish students to maintain their Jewish identity while being a full participant in a public school

Jo Greenbury will explore the history and traditions of Clifton’s unique relationship with the Jewish Community in this country. Jo has been at Clifton since 1989, and was the last Housemaster of Polack’s House [1995-2005]. He continued to look after the Jewish pupils at the College until 2016, when Lauren took up the reins and Jo took the lead as Director of the Old Cliftonian Society.

Lauren Chiren has been a Clifton College parent for eight years and placed her son at Clifton because of its rich Jewish heritage. Lauren has recently been appointed to enrich the Jewish provision and work closely with the school and PHET (Polack’s House Educational Trust), to raise awareness of the School’s Jewish heritage more widely. Lauren will share with you Clifton’s current enrichment programme and demonstrate how they are sharing Jewish culture and beliefs within Clifton College and the wider community.