Kehilat Middlesbrough Newsletter No 1 January 1999 page 3
Simcha Glazer (widower of Bertha Smith) Ruth Miller (Sudwarts) Anne (Goldberg) & Stuart Dove & David Joyce & Paul Stock Anne & Michael Niman – (children of Ronnie & Sheila) Freddy (Fischbein) Fishburn Bernard & Susan Olsburgh David, Dinah & Lorraine Solomons and David Iris & Martin Craster Eve (Bharier) Teiger Zena (Bharier) Figa Gillian Hush, Carol (Hush) & Melvyn Frieda (Silverston) Hurst Reuben & Josephine Grant (Goldstein) Malcom Rose (widower of Shirley Goldstein Helen (Simons) 2 Prinsely grandchildren Pamela (Cohen) & husband Betty (Simon) Levinson Bernard & Beryl Bookey and 4 grandchildren Matthew & Nicola Bookey Myra (Kremer) & daughter Michael Cohen Alan Cohen Sheila (Richman) & Simeon Rydz Max & Sandra Richman, daughter & fiance Stephen Doberman ?Selby – grandson of Philip Simon Eve (Halson) & Dr Oppenheim Tony & Ruth Frais
Non-Middlesbrough visitors Rev Ben Topp Lesser Richman Samuel & Gillian Pearlman
The Jewish Community of Middlesbrough
This body, which includes several prominent tradesmen of the town, is daily increasing in its numerical strength and has established for itself a prominent position amongst the non-conformist bodies.
The Synagogue, Brentnall Street, a somewhat attractive building, was erected more than a quarter of a century ago, and was consecrated by the late Chief Rabbi, The Very Rev Dr Marcus Nathan Adler, father of the present Chief Rabbi. It is supported by the weekly contributions and offerings of the members of the congregation. Amongst those who were energetically engaged in raising funds for its erection was Mr Isaac Altson, who once represented the Cannon Street Ward on the Town Council.
Their new burial ground is the portion of the new cemetery adjoining the Fever Hospital, and was allotted to them by the Town Council in 1885. The walls and gates, as well as the "Chapel", contained therein, were built at the expense of the congregation, in compliance with the conditions upon which the gift was made. It was consecrated by the present Chief Rabbi The Very Rev Hermann Adler, of London.
In connection with the Synagogue there is a Sabbath School, and there are evening classes for imparting instruction to the children in Hebrew and Religion. These classes are supported partly by school fees and partly out of the funds of the congregation. The children of the poor are admitted free.
The minister of the congregation and superintendent of the Schools is the Rev M E Davis, who has been working in our midst since 1888. Born in London, he was educated at Jews and University Colleges, where he engaged in secular and theological studies. He matriculated at London University, January 1884, and after qualifying himself for the Jewish Ministry, received a unanimous call to this town, and has since presided over the ministrations of the Jewish communities of Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington and West Hartlepool, and superintended the Hebrew and Religious classes in connection with these towns.
It is worthy of note that this body, in common with all the Jewish bodies throughout the United Kingdom, attends to the necessities of its own poor, and thereby in considerable measure relieves the burdens of the general ratepayer. Until recently it possessed, for this purpose, a Board of Guardians, which dealt with all cases worthy of relief, but this work is now done by the general body of its members.
There exists a branch of the Chovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) association, the propaganda of which is to extend and help the present colonists in Palestine and to encourage a sentiment of love for the Holy Land and the Hebrew language.
No temperance movement exists in the community as this is quite unnecessary, and is wholly impractical. Its members evince to the Sovereign Loyalty as Englishmen and subjects by special prayer, which is offered by their minister for Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family every Sabbath and on all sacred days.
It was Father Ignatius who said on one occasion, when preaching in All Saints' Church, that we, the people of Middlesbrough, should be proud that we have a synagogue in our midst.
1901: In this connection there now exists a Jewish Shelter, which provides temporary board and lodging, free of charge, for indigent strangers. There has also been established a Jewish Ladies Benevolent Society for visiting and assisting the poor, which is doing excellent work.
Prepared by Nat Bharier from documentation written at the turn of the century
Please let us know if we have misspelt your names or, worse still, left you out. It was all done from memory and there were no name tags on Nov 1st—our apologies in advance!