Members of the Lincolnshire Progressive Jewish Communities gathered for a poignant dedication ceremony at the International Bomber Command Centre, just outside the city, to unveil the Lincoln Jewish Memorial Stone.

This memorial honours the Jewish servicemen who served and died in the RAF during World War II and pays homage to Lincoln’s medieval Jewish history.

The hand-carved stone, inspired by the 2,000-year-old Magdala Stone discovered near the Sea of Galilee in 2009, symbolises the enduring legacy of Jewish history and sacrifice.

Tim Collis, the project co-leader, expressed his hopes for the memorial, stating: “It is our prayer that the memorial will be a cornerstone of remembrance in the city of Lincoln and beyond.

"I believe it will cry out its message of remembrance, reconciliation, and hope for generations to come.”

Rabbi Samuel de Beck Spitzer, the RAF’s sole Rabbi, led the dedication ceremony.

The event was attended by dignitaries, including members of local Jewish communities, representatives from the Jewish Ex-Servicemen’s Legion (AJEX), the Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Alan Briggs, local MP Dr Caroline Johnson, and Air Vice Marshal Phil Lester, the highest-ranked Jewish RAF officer.

Paul Hyams, a member of Lincolnshire’s Progressive Jewish Community and the planning committee, acknowledged the support that made the project possible.

Members of the Lincolnshire Progressive Jewish Community gathered for ceremony at the International Bomber Command Centre to unveil the Lincoln Jewish Memorial Stone (Photo: Progressive Judaism)

He said: “We are indebted to the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, who have been the driving force of the project, and to Phil Kerry, owner of Goldstone Quarry, who donated the stone from its carving in Jaipur, India, to its installation at the Bomber Command Centre.”

The memorial features the names of over 600 Jewish aircrew who fell while serving in Bomber Command, among the 58,000 individuals commemorated at the site.

Lincolnshire has a rich medieval Jewish history, with a community that thrived in the 12th and 13th centuries before the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290.

The modern Lincolnshire Jewish Community, established in 1992, holds services at Jew’s Court, with the upper room serving as a synagogue and Jew’s House next door operating as a restaurant.