Manchester Jewish Museum
Encyclopedia
Manchester Jewish Museum tells the story of the Jewish community in Manchester
, England
over the last 200 years. It occupies the former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue
on Cheetham Hill Road and is a grade II* listed building
The Synagogue
was completed in 1874 but later the building became redundant through the migration of the Jewish population away from the Cheetham area further North to Prestwich
and Whitefield
.
It was re-opened as a museum in March 1984.
style by the noted Manchester architect Edward Salomons
in 1874. Although it is far from being the largest or most magnificent of the world's many Moorish revival synagogues, which include the opulent Princes Road Synagogue
in nearby Liverpool
, it is considered by architectural historian H.A. Meeks to be a "jewel" of a building. The style, a homage to the architecture of Moorish Spain, perhaps seemed particularly fitting for the home of a Sephardic congregation. The two tiers of horseshoe windows on the facade are emblematic of the style, and the recessed doorway and arcade of five windows on the floor above the entrance are particularly decorative. Inside, a horseshoe arch frames the heichal and polychrome columns support the galleries. The mashrabiyya latticework on the front doors is particularly fine.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
over the last 200 years. It occupies the former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
on Cheetham Hill Road and is a grade II* listed building
The 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...
was completed in 1874 but later the building became redundant through the migration of the Jewish population away from the Cheetham area further North to Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
and Whitefield
Whitefield, Greater Manchester
Whitefield is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the south bank of the River Irwell, south-southeast of Bury, and to the north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
.
It was re-opened as a museum in March 1984.
Moorish revival building
The museum building was built in the Moorish RevivalMoorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
style by the noted Manchester architect Edward Salomons
Edward Salomons
Edward Salomons was an Anglo-Jewish architect based in Manchester, working in the late 19th century. He is noted for his architecture in various Gothic Revival and Italianate styles....
in 1874. Although it is far from being the largest or most magnificent of the world's many Moorish revival synagogues, which include the opulent Princes Road Synagogue
Princes Road Synagogue
Princes Road Synagogue, located in Toxteth, Liverpool in England, is the home of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation. It came into existence when the Jewish community in Liverpool in the late 1860s decided to build itself a new synagogue, reflecting the status and wealth of the community...
in nearby Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, it is considered by architectural historian H.A. Meeks to be a "jewel" of a building. The style, a homage to the architecture of Moorish Spain, perhaps seemed particularly fitting for the home of a Sephardic congregation. The two tiers of horseshoe windows on the facade are emblematic of the style, and the recessed doorway and arcade of five windows on the floor above the entrance are particularly decorative. Inside, a horseshoe arch frames the heichal and polychrome columns support the galleries. The mashrabiyya latticework on the front doors is particularly fine.
External links
- Official website
- Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue on Jewish Communities and Records - UK (hosted by jewishgen.org).