Victoria Square

As the centre of local government in Birmingham, Victoria Square is a good setting to talk about campaigns for Jewish civil rights.

The first Jew to serve on the Birmingham Town Council was called David Barnett, elected in 1839. He was a prominent member of the Jewish community and active in local politics in the city, serving on the Board of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Jewish Board of Guardians, and many of the Committees that managed the affairs of his synagogue. He was one of several members of the Congregation who set up the Birmingham Hebrew School.

His election was an important moment in Birmingham's history. Town Councillors were required by law to swear an oath of allegiance 'on the true faith of a Christian'. David Barnett, as a Jew, could not take this oath. However, after some discussion, 'the Council allowed that Mr Barnett take the declaration conscientiously with the omission of the words, for his religion strictly commanded Israelites that wherever they might be, they were duty bound to support the establishment of that country.'

Although David Barnett was elected in 1839, a bill permitting Jews to hold municipal office was not passed until 1845, and almost twenty years passed before, in 1858, Lionel de Rothschild became the first Jewish MP to take his seat in Parliament, swearing the oath "So help me, Jehovah".

The Council House was designed by the Birmingham architect Henry Yeoville Thomason, who, earlier in his career had built Singers Hill Synagogue.