A group of us are currently working on a new history of the Shul. If you are interested in being involved, or have recollections, documents, photos or other records which might be of interest, please contact Rabbi Silverman.

Click here for an update on the history project.

A Short History of our Congregation

    The Manchester Reform Synagogue was founded in 1857 when Manchester’s Orthodox synagogue, Halliwell Street, split into two congregations. One became the Orthodox Great Synagogue. The other, which represented those members of the Manchester Jewish community of a reformist tendency, became the Manchester Congregation of British Jews. The latter took with them the services of the Rabbi of Halliwell Street, Rabbi Doctor Schiller-Szennessy. Their original building was in Park Place, at the near end of Cheetham Hill Road, then a busy Jewish neighbourhood. This fine building was consecrated on 25^th March 1858. The Synagogue associated itself from the outset with the West London Synagogue, which had been founded in 1841. Indeed, it was following their example that the original name was adopted, the reference to ‘British Jews’ being inclusive of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi.

From the outset, members of the community were involved in the wider Jewish community and the city generally. One of the prime movers behind the creation of the synagogue was Tobias Theodores, appointed one of Owens College’s first Professors on its foundation in 1851. Our second minister, Rev. Dr. Gustav Gottheil, was also a  lecturer at Owens College. He was with the congregation from 1860 to 1873. The nineteenth century saw two further ministers,  Rev Dr Isaac Weiner from 1873 to 1877 and Rev Laurence Mark Simmons from 1877 to 1900, who revived the religion classes. The President at the turn of the century was Charles Dreyfus, a prominent industrialist, local politician and Zionist leader. 

The early years of the twentieth century saw the ministries of Rev Abraham Wolf (1901 to 1907), Rev Harry Lewis (1908 to 1913) and Rev Jacob Phillips (1913 to 1940), followed from 1940 by Rabbi Percy Goldberg. It was during his ministry that the Park Place building was bombed on 1^st June 1941 during the blitz of Manchester. In one disaster, the congregation lost its building as well as most of its records and treasured possessions.

 However, thanks in large measure to the dynamic leadership of Rabbi Percy Goldberg, there was not even a break in services. By the week afterwards, the congregation had found somewhere to hold Sabbath services, in the Cheetham Assembly Rooms. This was followed by the use of Houldsworth Hall in Deansgate. Then in 1948, the congregation moved to a prefabricated building on the Park Place site. Credit must go to Rabbi Goldberg for his vision and drive in keeping the congregation together during this difficult time and seeing it into its new home.

Meanwhile, the congregation was negotiating for compensation from the War Damage Commission, through Frederick Lister. When the present site in Jackson’s Row became available, it was purchased in 1949, with the assistance of a loan from Alexander Levy, and the award by the War Damage Commission and the funds from the Lionel Blundell building appeal paid for the new building. The building was designed by Eric Levy and Peter Cummings. The rather unusual figurative stained glass was designed by John Bradshaw and created by C. Lightfoot. The conveyancing of the site was conducted by Bernard Kuit and Vivien Steinart, whose firm, Kuit, Steinart, Levy are still the Synagogue’s Honorary Solicitors. On 18^th May 1952 the site was consecrated in the presence of the civic heads of Manchester and Salford and the building was opened on 29^th November 1953, also in presence of the Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Mayor of Salford.

     The congregation grew from 110 members at the time of the destruction of Park Place, to a congregation too large for the new building. Additional classrooms were built in 1956 and 1969. By now, the movement of the community out of Manchester and the growth in size, amongst other reasons, led to the founding of an offshoot Reform congregation in the South Manchester and Cheshire suburbs, whose synagogue, Menorah, was opened in 1972. This was followed in 1976 by a similar congregation based in North Manchester, Sha’arei Shalom.

Rabbi Goldberg continued to serve as minister until 1974 and was also a co-founder of the Council of Christians and Jews. He was assisted for many years by Rabbi Norman Zalud, now at Liverpool and Sha’arei Shalom. Rabbi Goldberg was followed by Rabbi Toviah Ben Chorin, who moved on to Har-el Congregation in Jerusalem and is now in Zurich.

Then, from 1977, Rabbi Reuven Silverman has occupied our pulpit. Under his guidance, the congregation continues to flourish.

Our Congregation has now celebrated its 150^th anniversary. Key dates for commemoration were:       

David Hoffman, August 2006