London 2009

In October of 2009, I was able once again to visit London, England. This is the fourth year in a row that I have been able to attend the one day conference of The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. The conference was held again at the West London Synagogue of British Jews at Upper Berkeley Street. As usual it was an incredible conference. We enjoyed a day full of speakers discussing Jewish genealogy and history. The society is full of wonderful leaders and some of the nicest people anywhere. It is always a great experience for me when I am there. I am very proud of my membership, and of the friendships I have developed there.

The monday following I returned to a place that has been very special to me, Willesden Cemetery. As always, I jumped on the bus and travelled the 20 minutes or so from my hotel.
I love riding the double decker buses, because from the topside you can see everything. It seems as though there is history on every corner. Willesden is a very peacefull place where so many of the British Jews are buried. Everytime I go there I seem to find so much information that I have been looking for

This time was no different. I was able to tie up some loose ends on a family that are most likely my relations, the Kino family. To walk the grounds of this beautiful place is an amazing experience. I have now been here three times, and each visit has left me wanting to return. The building at right sits in the center of the cemetery. Pictures can not truly show how beautiful this place is.

Something, I enjoy doing when I travel, is going for walks around areas I have never been before. It helps me get to know the city and is a great way to work through the jetlag. On this trip as I walked around I came to a beautiful London synagogue.
The Great Prescott Street Synagogue.