This film is part of Free

Soup Kitchen
A rare glimpse inside the Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor in the East End during the early 1930s.
Overview
This 16mm amateur footage was filmed at the Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor in London's East End, and is a valuable record of a community almost vanished from this part of the capital. Located in Spitalfields on Butler Street (now Brune Street), where it moved in 1902, the soup kitchen was founded by the Jewish Board of Guardians, set up to assist Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe.
A 1932 appeal for funds in the Jewish Chronicle estimated at least 4000 people visited the soup kitchen nightly during the winter opening hours of 5-7pm, Monday-Thursday; "This food consists of soup and bread on each of these evenings and Kosher margarine and sardines on alternative evenings. In addition, pilchard and an extra portion of bread are given on Thursdays to help the poor over the weekend". It was still feeding elderly clients when it closed in 1992. The building survives today, converted into flats.
Related

Simcha Simcha
Documentary 2000 12 mins
Extremely rare insight in the role of a Hasidic woman, featuring a mother-daughter team who live in North London.

Some of My Best Friends Some of My Best Friends
Documentary 1969 30 mins Location: Westminster
Jewish people - and a few Gentiles - muse on what it means to be Jewish in 1960s Britain

Chief Rabbi's Emergency Council Chief Rabbi's Emergency Council
1947 19 mins Silent
Poignant postwar appeal for Britain’s Jewry to support orphaned Jewish children rescued from Europe

Jewish Pensioners' Controversial Pools Win Jewish Pensioners' Controversial Pools Win
News 1975 5 mins Location: Southend-on-Sea
All good pals and jolly good company! A syndicate of Jewish pensioners from Southend celebrate their big win on the football pools.

Just One Kid Just One Kid
Factual TV 1974 54 mins Silent
A Jewish Eastender recalls growing up in poverty in the 1930s and being part of a community now long gone

Mr. Emmanuel Mr. Emmanuel
Drama 1944 97 mins
An elderly Jewish man journeys to Nazi Germany to track down a refugee’s mother in this extraordinary drama

Spitalfields Market Spitalfields Market
Amateur film 1966 1 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
London's greengrocers celebrate with friends and family as well as members of the public in this film from 1966

Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices
Amateur film 1969 8 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
From Petticoat Lane to Portobello Road, London's street markets are always full of life.

Marriage of Miss Rose Carmel and Mr. Solly Gerschcowit Marriage of Miss Rose Carmel and Mr. Solly Gerschcowit
Non-Fiction 1925 3 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
Follow the happy couple from the family shop on Brick Lane to a garden party serenaded by the San Diego Dance Band

A Safe Place to Be A Safe Place to Be
Documentary 1980 32 mins Location: Spitalfields
Racism in Spitalfields reaches crisis point in the 70s as the National Front attack the local Bangladeshi community

Petticoat Lane Petticoat Lane
Non-Fiction 1903 3 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
Join the Sunday morning crowds at the famous East End market, home of London's rag trade.

London's £2,000,000 Market London's £2,000,000 Market
Non-Fiction 1926 1 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
Pomp and ceremony as the Lord Mayor lays the foundation stone for the extension of Spitalfields Market

If I Make It To The Morning If I Make It To The Morning
Drama 2024 9 mins
A Chinese teenager dreams of living with her cool aunt in New York, until tensions boil over during a crab dinner.

We’ll Go Down in History We’ll Go Down in History
Documentary 2025 25 mins
Two years in the life of TRUK United FC, a beacon for positive change and trans inclusivity in football.

Dragfox Dragfox
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2024 8 mins
A child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen) learn to embrace their differences in this heart warming stop-motion animation.

Wait, Wait, Now! Wait, Wait, Now!
Drama 2024 13 mins
A Maori and a Kiwi teen buddy up to raid their mum’s wardrobe and pucker their lips with red.

NGGAK!!! NGGAK!!!
Drama 2024 8 mins
‘I pronounce you wife and wife.’ A young couple design their perfect wedding online, but then mum dials in.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.