A Festival of Jewish Culture, History & Solidarity in East London

Public art

Murmur Mural

Projected nightly at 7.30pm
Toynbee Hall, Whitechapel
Free · No booking required

Inam Zimbalista’s projected video installation reimagines the Battle of Cable Street through the movement of bird murmurations.

Drawing on archival footage, the work transforms figures from the historic protest into a fluid choreography of collective action, reflecting on solidarity, resistance and the power of people acting together.

The installation will be projected onto the exterior of Toynbee Hall every evening from 4 to 11 October.

Guided tours

Jewish East End Black Cab Tours

Various times
East London
Advance booking required

Explore the history of London’s Jewish East End from an iconic black cab. These individually tailored tours take in Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Brick Lane, uncovering the communities, landmarks and stories that shaped the area and formed the backdrop to the Battle of Cable Street.

Routes can include historic synagogues, Jewish heritage sites and the wider history of migration, community and resistance. The private tours can accommodate up to six passengers, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available.

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Walking tour

Surprising Shadwell

11am–1pm
Meeting point provided when booking
£20 plus booking fee

Explore Wapping and Shadwell with guide Rachel Kolsky, discovering the communities that shaped the East End and stood together against fascism in 1936.

The walk takes in the Cable Street mural and the area’s rich dockland history, alongside stories of exotic-animal keepers, rope makers, a mortuary turned natural-history museum, Wilton’s Music Hall, Shadwell Basin and Tobacco Dock.

Film

Jews Defending Jews: Film Screening and Q&A

7–8.30pm
Central London
Venue details provided to ticket-holders
£15, including a drink

Marking 90 years since the Battle of Cable Street, Jews Defending Jews explores the history of Jewish resistance to antisemitism in Britain. Through archive footage and first-hand testimony, the documentary traces the communities who organised to defend themselves against fascist violence, reflecting on the enduring legacies of solidarity, resilience and collective action.

Produced in association with the Community Security Trust (CST), this screening forms part of Cable Street 90, inviting audiences to reflect on the continuing relevance of these histories today.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with CST. A drink is included with the ticket.

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Panel discussion

Cable Street Matters

2–3pm
East London
Venue details provided to ticket-holders
£10

What does Cable Street mean to British Jews today?

Marking 90 years since the Battle of Cable Street, this panel discussion considers why this defining moment in British Jewish history continues to matter. Speakers will explore its significance for the Jewish community, its place in London’s wider history and the relevance of its legacy in contemporary Britain.

Chaired by Karen Newman, with Phil Rosenberg, Brigit Grant and a representative of the Community Security Trust.

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Open house

Jewish Life at Sandys Row

10.30am–1pm
Sandys Row Synagogue, Spitalfields
Drop in · Suggested donation £5

Step inside one of London’s hidden historic treasures and discover more than 150 years of Jewish life in the East End.

Housed in a Georgian building and established by Dutch Jewish families, Sandys Row is London’s oldest surviving Ashkenazi synagogue. This open morning includes exhibitions, short talks, historic objects and books, offering visitors a glimpse into the migration, resilience and community that shaped the East End.

Visit the Sandys Row Synagogue website

Families

Cable Street Stories: A Family Story and Creative Workshop

11am–1pm
JW3, Finchley Road
Ages 4+ · Free; booking charges apply

A family workshop inspired by Tanya Landman’s The Battle of Cable Street. Through storytelling and creative activities, children will meet young Elsie and explore friendship, courage and what it means to stand alongside your neighbours.

Families can help construct a colourful East End street, add a decorated brick to a collaborative mural and design miniature placards carrying messages of kindness, fairness and welcome.

Book through JW3

Film and Q&A

They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Cable Street

2:00pm
Central London
Venue details provided to ticket-holders closer to the date.
£17.50, including drinks

One street. One extraordinary act of resistance. Ninety years later, its story still resonates.

Join acclaimed actor, writer and director Steven Berkoff for a special screening of They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Cable Street, followed by an exclusive Q&A with Berkoff, chaired by Brigit Grant of Jewish News.

October 1936. Thousands of fascists, led by Oswald Mosley, march into London’s Jewish East End. But on Cable Street, they meet a community united in defiance – Jewish residents, socialists, trade unionists, immigrants and dockers standing together to deliver a message that would echo through history: “They shall not pass.” Born in nearby Stepney just one year after the battle, Berkoff has a uniquely personal connection to the East End and its history. His film brings this extraordinary confrontation to life.

Part of Cable Street 90, marking 90 years since the Battle of Cable Street. See the film. Hear the story. Then hear from Steven Berkoff himself.

This version makes the Q&A feel exclusive and unmissable, rather than an add-on to the screening.

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Theatre and conversation

The Merchant of Cable Street

6–7.30pm
East London
Venue details provided to ticket-holders
£17.50, including drinks

Join award-winning actor and writer Tracy-Ann Oberman MBE, acclaimed novelist and broadcaster Howard Jacobson, and theatre director Brigid Larmour for a special evening exploring The Merchant of Cable Street and the enduring legacy of the Battle of Cable Street.

Inspired by the events of 4 October 1936, The Merchant of Cable Street reimagines Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice in London's Jewish East End. Together, the panel will consider how themes of identity, prejudice, belonging and collective resistance continue to resonate today, and what the legacy of Cable Street can teach us at a time when antisemitism, racism and intolerance remain pressing challenges.

A timely evening of theatre, history and conversation celebrating one of the most powerful stories of solidarity in modern Britain. Drinks will be provided at the venue, included in the ticket price.

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