Jewish baths?

[Debra A]

A few weeks ago I was reading something by the secretary of the Jews Temporary shelter in 1888, where he says that there were 5 absolutely
Jewish baths in the east End of london, five baths established exclusively for the Jews.
He names one in Little Alie-street, Whitechapel, one in Heneage-lane, Bevis Marks, and one in Steward-street, Spitalfields, and two others.
Does anyone know where the two others might be?

Later on in the same piece, Mr montague says there are five Jewish bathing establishments within half a mile of Aldgate which are entirely attended and supported by Jews and Jewesses and a little further on, that the Jewish swimmingclub connected with the Goulstone-street Bath is the largest in the east-end, and that at least two thirds of the persons who bathed at this bath consisted of Jews...but that's not Jewish only, so I'm not sure if they were including this one or not.
Does anyone know of anymore Jewish only baths? Or any other baths in the area?

thanks
Debs

[John Bennett]

Hi Debs,

Weren't there Jewish Vapour baths on Brick Lane?

JB

[m_w_r]

Hi Debs -

I claim no particular expertise or understanding in this area, but you might be interested in the photo which is reproduced on p.79 of William J. Fishman's The Streets of East London, and likewise on p.129 of Gerry Black's Jewish London - An Illustrated History, of Shevshick's Russian Vapour Baths in Brick Lane. I think I remember seeing this same picture (held at the Tower Hamlets Local Archives) in sundry other publications too.

The 1914 Godfrey map of Whitechapel, Spitalfields and the Bank has extracts from that year's Post Office Directory on the reverse side, and Benjamin Schewzik is listed at 86 Brick Lane, the proprietor of Vapour Baths. The baths themselves were located on the east side of the road, north of Heneage Street and south of Booth Street. (In the Post Office Directory of the following year - transcribed here - the baths are listed at 86a.)

Here is an example of some of the advertising for the baths, retained by the Jewish Museum.



Whether these baths were Jewish-only, however, I cannot at the moment tell; more information about Schewzik himself, and his opposition to Montagu is available in The Divided Elite: Economics, Politics, and Anglo-Jewry, 1882-1917 by Daniel Gutwein, viewable and searchable through Google Books.

Regards,

Mark

[perrymason]

.... that the Jewish swimmingclub connected with the Goulstone-street Bath is the largest in the east-end, and that at least two thirds of the persons who bathed at this bath consisted of Jews...but that's not Jewish only, so I'm not sure if they were including this one or not.
Does anyone know of anymore Jewish only baths? Or any other baths in the area?

thanks
Debs

Hi Debs,

I would suspect if the Goulston St Bath wasnt promoted as Jewish only, it would likely be so anyway due to the role Goulston played with local familiarization for Eastern European Immigrant Jews.

Tom Wescott informed me once that in his research of the Stride case and Double Murder night, he found that Jews were often taken to Goulston where local resident Jews advised them of their survival lifelines, or where to seek work, or where they might find Jewish markets, or friendly faces. Socialist Marches were started from Goulston.

To summarize, maybe promoting that club as Jewish Only was a waste of paint and signboard...because that area was almost 90% Jewish anyway.

Cheers.

[Rob Clack]

Hi Debs,

I couldn't see anything marked on the large scale O.S. Maps. Although there are Jewish Establishments in those places.
There's nothing in Little Alie Street, but in Great Alie Street there's a Jewish Working Mens Club.
Heneage Lane there is a Jewish Bath listed in 1895 at 2 1/2 next to a synagogue. Bevis Marks there's a synagogue. There's nothing in Steward Street but close by is Sandys Row Synagogue. Perhaps they were located next/close to prominent Jewish places.
The only other baths I know of where in Mile End and Poplar which are probably a bit far and I don't know if they were Jewish only.

This is the Russian Vapour Baths used by Jews. I don't think it was open in 1888 though.



Rob

[m_w_r]

Sabbath Eve at Schevzik's

From A.B. Levy, East End Story, c.1951, pp.26-27:

Until the war, next to godliness at the Machzike Hadass there was cleanliness at Schevzik's. These popular baths were just opposite the synagogue in the narrow Brick Lane. The large sign there, like many another East London sign, belies 1951 circumstances. It reads: "Russian Vapour" [the word "Baths" has fallen off] "Open Every Day, Wednesday Ladies." They were, in fact, closed after a fire - not caused by a bomb - about the beginning of the war. Yet in the courtyard to the extensive and dilapidated rest rooms and tiled baths you are informed that you can get here the "Best Massage in London: Invaluable Relief for Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, Neuritis, Lumbago and Allied Complaints. Keep fit and well by regular visits."

The orthodox of the East End certainly looked fit as they emerged from the gates of Schevzik's after their regular eve-of-Sabbath visit, displaying pink cheeks and stroking soft beards. Some of them, to continue cooling off, would drop in at the shop of Moshé the Scribe, a few doors away, to exchange shool gossip or listen to the latest record of American Cantor, Yossele Rosenblatt. In 1947, Moshé Sofer was buried together with twelve scrolls of the Torah, which hooligans had burnt at the Dollis Hill Synagogue, and one of which he had himself written.

The late Rev. B. Schevzik, who ran the baths, also led thousands in prayer on the holy-days, when he conducted services, first at the Great Assembly Hall at Mile End, and then, for many years, at the Shoreditch Town Hall. His son, Michael Sherbrooke, was, until he gave up his acting career to travel in many lands, a well-known figure on the West End stage, achieving success despite the handicap of being deaf - he learnt every part in a play, besides his own, and never missed a cue.



Regards,

Mark

[Debra A]

Many thanks John, Mark, Rob and Michael!

I think Rob may be right though, in that the Brick Lane vapour baths weren't there in 1888. I checked the 1891 census and #86 appears to be residential, with a cabinet maker living there, I couldn't see a # 86a either.

Rob, yes it makes sense that the baths were next to or very near the synagogoues, as Mark's 'East End Story' snippet shows, it was definitely part of the Friday religious observances and rituals.
The Heneage Lane one that you found was also there in 1891, Emma Halive was the bath keeper there, and lived on the premises.
I also found a Jane Taylor described as a bath Attendant, living at 37, St Georges House, George Yard, Whitechapel and wondered if the same applied in this case as in the case of Emma Halive and that maybe this address at George House was also a bath house too? I can't imagine this would be a Jewish only one though, but just wondered if there was one there?

Tom Wescott informed me once that in his research of the Stride case and Double Murder night, he found that Jews were often taken to Goulston where local resident Jews advised them of their survival lifelines, or where to seek work, or where they might find Jewish markets, or friendly faces.

I think that's correct Mike from what I've read also, although I don't think it was exclusively Goulston St where the new immigrants were taught how to survive, many establishments and individuals in the Whitechapel area threw open their doors to help out the new immigrants, but a lot seems to have centred around Goulston Street granted and many new immigrants were taken to the baths there, particularly by Jewish women in the community for some reason.

Debs

[Robert]

Debs, you have two options : find the synagogues and place the baths as close to them as possible. Or, find where Kosminski lived and place the baths as far from him as possible.