Amy Levy was born on 10 November 1861 in the Lambeth district of London, the second daughter of Lewis Levy and Isobel (née Levin). Her parents were English Jews who, like the majority of native Jews by the mid-nineteenth century, strongly identified with English culture and values. Like many middle-class Jews, they were not religiously observant at home. Levy’s parents held seats at the West London Synagogue of British Jews, Britain’s first Reform congregation, but the family did not regularly attend services. They maintained close social ties with London’s Jewish community. Moving across London as they rose in economic and social status, they lived in areas increasingly occupied by middle-class Jews. For a time, Levy’s father L…
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Citation: Hetherington, Naomi. "Amy Levy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 April 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2714, accessed 24 November 2024.]