Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation
Encyclopedia
Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation is a large Ashkenazi Orthodox
synagogue
located in North Manchester
, United Kingdom
. It was founded in 1935, and in 2010 had between 500 and 749 members. Under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Reverend Leslie Olsberg MBE
led the congregation for 35 years until his death in 2008. Rabbi Daniel Walker succeeded him, and currently heads the congregation. Yehuda Marks is the hazzan
.
The congregation is housed in a 1937 red brick postwar building on Middleton Road, Crumpsall
. Architectural historian Carol Herselle Krinsky
describes it, unadmiringly, as having a "central block with projecting wings" and "a disproportionately large glass entrance wall." According to architectural historian Sharman Kadish
, the building is one of three Manchester area synagogues modeled on the 1934 building of Manchester's Holy Law Synagogue with its tirpartite facade in a "pleasing international style." The other two are the Manchester Reform Synagogue Jackson's Row, and the Prestwich Hebrew Congregation.
On 22 April 2000 and again on 15 September 2002 antisemitic remarks were shouted at the synagogue. Synagogue security cameras captured a murder on film in 2008, when violinist Michael Kahan was stabbed to death outside a Kosher bakery near the synagogue building by a mentally ill assailant.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
located in North Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was founded in 1935, and in 2010 had between 500 and 749 members. Under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Reverend Leslie Olsberg MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
led the congregation for 35 years until his death in 2008. Rabbi Daniel Walker succeeded him, and currently heads the congregation. Yehuda Marks is the hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
.
History
The Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation was formally founded in 1935. By 1999, it had a membership of 550. Reverend Leslie Olsberg retired from his position in 2008, aged 86, after 35 years' service.The congregation is housed in a 1937 red brick postwar building on Middleton Road, Crumpsall
Crumpsall
Crumpsall is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about north of Manchester city centre...
. Architectural historian Carol Herselle Krinsky
Carol Herselle Krinsky
Carol Herselle Krinsky Architectural historian, born in New York City, New York, USA. She studied at Smith College New York University, Krinsky is a professor of twentieth-century architectural history at New York University...
describes it, unadmiringly, as having a "central block with projecting wings" and "a disproportionately large glass entrance wall." According to architectural historian Sharman Kadish
Sharman Kadish
Sharman Kadish is a contemporary scholar, author, and historian with particular expertise in Jewish British history and with several publications under her name. Of particular note is her monograph, Bolsheviks and British Jews...
, the building is one of three Manchester area synagogues modeled on the 1934 building of Manchester's Holy Law Synagogue with its tirpartite facade in a "pleasing international style." The other two are the Manchester Reform Synagogue Jackson's Row, and the Prestwich Hebrew Congregation.
On 22 April 2000 and again on 15 September 2002 antisemitic remarks were shouted at the synagogue. Synagogue security cameras captured a murder on film in 2008, when violinist Michael Kahan was stabbed to death outside a Kosher bakery near the synagogue building by a mentally ill assailant.