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Manchester Jewish Museum

The lesser known Manchester Jewish Museum on Cheetham Hill Road tells the fascinating story of the Jewish community in Manchester as far back as the 1700s. The museum itself was built in 1874, and is the oldest surviving synagogue in Manchester. They have changing exhibitions and there are guided Heritage Trails frequently which take you around the Old Jewish Quarter in Manchester, to discover important Jewish landmarks such as synagogues, factory sites and warehouses. Check the website for dates.

The history of the Jewish community in Manchester stretches back 200 years, and this museum is an excellent opportunity to understand the complexity and diversity of Jewish settlement in Manchester. Why did they come, where did they come from - all the answers are here and entrance free not only allows you to peruse the many exhibition stands, but you're also treated to a guided tour with opportunities to ask questions. There's an excellent bookshop on-site also.

The site of the museum is a Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, first opened on 6 May 1874. It's style is Moorish or of Saracenic design. This is one of the first things you discover - that the first Jewish settlers in Manchester were the Sephardi community who were young members of merchant families from Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean islands as opposed to the Ashkenazi Jews who came from Central and Eastern Europe. The religious beliefs of the two groups however are the same.

By 1914 the Jewish population in Manchester numbered 35,000, and now Manchester has the second largest Jewish community in Britain. An important museum, you can find out all about the Jewish Year including the many festivals and the rich Jewish heritage of the area. It's many sided and diverse, and whilst this museum reflects on the big picture of Jewish immigration and religious, philanthropic and socialist connections, it also makes a point of exploring the detail of individual Jewish lives and their experiences in the past and present.

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