Leicestershire, UK – A Jewish community has reluctantly put its city centre synagogue up for sale.
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The Highfields Street home of Leicester’s orthodox Hebrew community was put on the market after the dwindling numbers of worshippers meant less money for the building’s upkeep.
Rabbi Shmuli Pink, who leads a small congregation in prayer four times a week, said the sale was needed to ensure the future of Leicester’s Jewish residents.
He said: “It’s sad to part with the synagogue, but it’s the people which make the community, not the building.
There are about 600 orthodox Jews in Leicestershire. At its height, the community numbered in the thousands after many refugees came to the city after the Second World War. However, the community soon went into decline and now just a handful regularly attend the synagogue.
Rabbi Pink said he welcomed interest from members of all faith communities.
The two storey synagogue, on the market for £275,000, was built in 1898. The community centre was built in 1950.
It is the only orthodox Jewish synagogue in Leicestershire.
This is always such a sad and distressing story to read. Perhaps some nadvan could be persuaded to help?
These are the quotes from the story:
1) “There are about 600 orthodox Jews in Leicestershire.”
2) “now just a handful regularly attend the synagogue.”
3) “It is the only orthodox Jewish synagogue in Leicestershire.”
Just what exactly do the consider to be “orthodox” in England?
That is a really neat looking fence in that photograph. Maybe the super ChaBaD can take over this place and keep its spirit jewish.
I was part of a similar situation i.e. a large building complex built in the heydey of a nominally Orthodox Shul with a diminished membership. I also would not be suprised that after 113 years the bulk of this community no longer lives near this Shul. I can say that the best, perhaps only option, for revitalizing the community is to move to smaller premisis that are well-suited for the present and future needs of the community. A community that is pouring its emotional energy into nostalgia and its finances into high upkeep will wither away, as there is nothing left to build for the future. New premisis with new vision and new thinking can revitalize them and this is an opportunity to place the Shul at the center of its target market. Good luck to them!