Manchester Jewish Museum facts for kids
.jpg)
The Manchester Jewish Museum, in 2015
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, England |
|---|---|
| Type | Jewish history museum |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Manchester Jewish Museum | |
| Type | Listed building |
| Designated | 3 October 1974 |
| Reference no. | 1208472 |
| Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
The former synagogue, now museum, in 2008
|
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism (former) |
| Rite | Nusach Sefard |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue (1874–1984) |
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Edward Salomons |
| Architectural type | Synagogue architecture |
| Architectural style | Moorish Revival |
| Completed | 1874 |
The Manchester Jewish Museum is a museum in Manchester, England, that tells the story of the city's Jewish community. It is located in a beautiful old building that was once a synagogue, a place of worship for people of the Jewish faith.
The building was originally known as the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue. It was built for a community of Sephardic Jews, whose ancestors came from Spain and Portugal. From 1874 to 1984, it was their place of worship. Because of its historical and architectural importance, the building was listed as a Grade II* building in 1974, meaning it is officially protected.
Contents
From Synagogue to Museum
The synagogue was built in 1874 for the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community in the Cheetham area of Manchester. Over many years, Jewish families began to move from Cheetham to other areas further north, like Prestwich and Whitefield.
Because so many people had moved away, the synagogue was no longer needed in that location. Instead of letting the beautiful building go to waste, it was given a new purpose. In March 1984, it reopened as the Manchester Jewish Museum. Its new mission was to share the history of Jewish people in Manchester for the past 200 years.
A Major Makeover
The museum reopened on July 2, 2021, after a huge £6 million project to repair and expand it. The building was carefully restored to its original beauty. A modern extension was also added.
This new section includes a new gallery for exhibits, a vegetarian café, a shop, and a learning studio with a kitchen. The project was so successful that it won two major construction awards.
What's Inside the Museum?
The museum's collection has over 31,000 items that help tell the story of Jewish life in Manchester. These items include:
- More than 20,000 photographs.
- Over 530 recorded life stories, known as oral histories.
- 138 recorded interviews with survivors and refugees of the Holocaust.
- Many other objects, documents, and personal items.
A Special Style of Building
The synagogue was designed in 1874 by a well-known Manchester architect named Edward Salomons. He chose a style called Moorish Revival. This style was inspired by the architecture of Moorish Spain, which was a fitting choice for a community with Spanish and Portuguese roots.
The building is considered a "jewel" of this architectural style. On the front, you can see two rows of horseshoe-shaped windows, which are a key feature of the Moorish look. The entrance is also very decorative, with a recessed doorway and a row of five windows above it.
Inside, a large horseshoe arch frames the holiest part of the synagogue, where the sacred scrolls were kept. Colorful pillars support the upper galleries. The wooden screens on the front doors, which have a special crisscross pattern, are also a beautiful example of fine craftsmanship.
See also
- History of the Jews in England
- List of former synagogues in the United Kingdom
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M8
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
