Manchester Reform Synagogue

The Manchester Reform Synagogue is a Reform Jewish congregation based in Central Manchester, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation, founded in 1857 as the Manchester Congregation of British Jews, is one of the oldest Reform communities in the United Kingdom, and is a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism.^[2][3][4]

The congregation build a synagogue on Jackson's Row in 1953 and vacated the site in November 2022. The synagogue was subsequently demolished in October 2023. The congregation as been using temporary premises at Manchester University's Chapel on Oxford Road, since November 2022, while it seeks a permanent home.

History

Horatio Michollis, the inaugural president, and rabbi Solomon Marcus Schiller-Szinessy led a group consisting mainly of German-Jewish immigrants to form the congregation in 1857.^[5] It was the second reform congregation to be established in England and the first outside London.^[1]

The first synagogue was completed in 1858, located at Park Place, Cheetham Hill Road. This building was destroyed on 1 June 1941 as a result of bombing raids by the German airforce during the Manchester Blitz.^[6]

The congregation bought the Jackson's Row site in 1949. The building was financed by money from the War Damage Commission. Albert Isaacs, Alexander Levy, and Frederick Lister laid the cornerstone on 18 May 1952. Designed by Peter Cummings and Eric Levy, the synagogue was consecrated on 28 November 1953.^[7] John Bradshaw designed the stained glass windows, which were manufactured by the stained glass company Charles Lightfoot. The building contains a large synagogue, banqueting hall and classrooms.^[6]

The building was demolished to make way for the St Michael's redevelopment project. Plans were announced in 2014,^[8] and in 2021 the sale of the synagogue was agreed. The building closed in late 2022;^[3] and was demolished on 14 October 2023 by hand, within six hours.

The former synagogue building at Jackson's Row was used as a filming location for the 2021 BBC TV series Ridley Road.^[2]

See also

1. ^ ^{a b} Shulman, David (7 December 2022). "Manchester Reform Synagogue". Jewish Communities and Records – UK. JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Service at synagogue featured in Ridley Road ambushed by group with swastikas". The Jewish Chronicle. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
3. ^ ^{a b} "Synagogue sold for Gary Neville redevelopment to close". BBC News. 27 November 2022.
4. ^ Hoffman, David. "Our story". What's it all about?. Manchester Reform Synagogue. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2014.^{[self-published source?]}
5. ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael A.; Rubinstein, Hilary L. (2011). The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 638. ISBN 978-1-4039-3910-4.
6. ^ ^{a b} Kalmus, Jonathan (7 November 2013). "Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville set to rebuild Manchester shul". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
7. ^ "Immersive Virtual Reality Project Preserves Historic Manchester Synagogue". Manchester School of Architecture. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
8. ^ Williams, Jennifer (9 September 2014). "Inside the historic Manchester synagogue to be demolished in Gary Neville's luxury hotel and shops plan". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.

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