Summary
Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation is a large Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue located in North Manchester, United Kingdom.[1] It was founded in 1935, and in 2010 had between 500 and 749 members.[2] Under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom,[3] Reverend Leslie Olsberg MBE led the congregation for 35 years until his death in 2008.[4][5][6] Rabbi Daniel Walker succeeded him, and currently heads the congregation.[7] Yehuda Marx is the hazzan.
| Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Leadership | Rabbi Daniel Walker |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Middleton Road, Crumpsall, North Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1937 |
| Materials | Red brick |
History edit
The Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation was formally founded in 1935. By 1999, it had a membership of 550.[1] Reverend Leslie Olsberg retired from his position in 2008, aged 86, after 35 years' service.[4] The congregation is housed in a 1967 red brick postwar building on Middleton Road, Crumpsall.[8] Architectural historian Carol Herselle Krinsky describes it, unadmiringly, as having a "central block with projecting wings" and "a disproportionately large glass entrance wall."[9] According to architectural historian Sharman Kadish, the building is one of three Manchester area synagogues modelled on the 1934 building of Manchester's Holy Law Synagogue with its tripartite facade in a "pleasing international style." The other two are the Manchester Reform Synagogue Jackson's Row, and the Prestwich Hebrew Congregation.[10]
On 22 April 2000 and again on 15 September 2002 antisemitic remarks were shouted at the synagogue.[11][12] 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.[13][14]
References edit
- ^ a b Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation on Jewish Communities and Records – UK (hosted by jewishgen.org)
- ^ Census of the Board of Deputies. Found at Board of Deputies website Archived 22 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine (see p. 21 of the census. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- ^ "Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation", Jewish Gen website. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- ^ a b Wise, Yaakov (20 August 2008). "The Rev Leslie Olsberg". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ Cranna, Ailsa (6 December 2007). "Recovering Rabbi gets his date at the Palace". Prestwich advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- ^ Rooth, Ben (28 July 2008). "Community 'grandfather' dies". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ "Walker steps in at Heaton," The Jewish Chronicle, 11 July 2008, [1]. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ Bill Williams (September 1999). Sir Sidney Hamburger and Manchester Jewry: religion, city, and community. Valentine Mitchell. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-85303-363-9. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ Krinsky, Carole, Synagogues of Europe; Architecture, History, Meaning, MIT Press, 1985, p. 99.
- ^ Kadish, Sharman, Jewish Heritage in England; An Architectural Guide," 2006, p. 152.
- ^ "Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents", Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 21 June 2011
- ^ "The Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism, 15-09-2002/Britain". Antisemitism.org.il. 15 September 2002. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
On 15 September 2002, antisemitic epithets were shouted in the direction of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester.
- ^ "Father killed on way to buy bagels," The Jewish Chronicle 6 June 2008, [2]. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ "New probe into death of bagel-stab violinist," The Jewish Chronicle 4 December 2008 [3]. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
External links edit
- Link to image
- Jewish Gen page
53°31′12″N 2°14′56″W / 53.5201°N 2.2489°W