• Introduction
• History

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In August 1929 David Erlichman of Stamford Hill came to Canvey Island on a day trip and very sadly drowned. This in itself was newsworthy but it was the subsequent actions of his father, Mr Claskel Erlichman, which resulted in greater news coverage. The father was summoned to attend an inquest on a Saturday in Stanford le Hope so he arrived on Friday and planned to depart on the Sunday. However, he refused to not only attend the Coroner's Court on the Saturday he also refused to sign the necessary paperwork. This caused the Coroner, Mr C Edgar Lewis, to hold him in contempt of court, a matter which was reported in the Jewish Chronicle and caused outrage within the Jewish community at the time.

The most notable event on Canvey Island, the flood of 31 January 1953, touched the Jewish community there too. One remarkable story reported in local newspapers was that of Moss Manus who knocked a hole in the wall of his bungalow enabling himself, his wife Freda, and his four-year-old son, Eddie, to escape on to a ledge just above the water line, where it was said that they all recited The Shema while awaiting rescue. Many other Jewish families were affected that night, resulting in some being permanently relocated to Westcliff.

In the years following the flood the Jewish population of Canvey Island slowly reduced in number in stark contrast with the growth of the community on the mainland. However, a number of Jewish residents made a lasting impression on the life and history of Canvey Island.

I have written previously about the growth and then decline of the Jewish population on Canvey Island. Along the way there were many colourful characters, several of whom impacted upon the life of the Island. Here are the stories of just a few of them.