The Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations has created a literary, artistic and historical showcase of how the legend of the Wandering Jew has been reimagined as a vehicle for interfaith tolerance, and a motif for Jewish resilience and cultural richness.

Reframing the Wandering Jew from its origins in medieval Christian myth, this exhibition presents how the legend evolves across time and cultures. It draws on an expansive set of sources including Romantic and Gothic literature, Yiddish drama, Jewish visual art, Rabbinic sermons, Nazi and anti-Nazi film, and 21st century regenderings of the myth. These diverse forms and genres reflect the relevance of the Wandering Jew, representing Jewish exilic experience but also more widely universal themes of myth, migration and memory.

We will also be facilitating a workshop inviting you to respond to the exhibition imagery and themes through the art of collage, creating portraits of mythic figures which reflect your own experiences of movement and belonging.

The exhibition has been supported by the Jewish Historical Society of England and German Historical Institute, and has travelled across the UK - from Bournemouth and London all the way to Birmingham, Huddersfield and even Glasgow!