Kehilat Middlesbrough Newsletter No 17 July 2003 Page 1 (of 6)
I got a call recently from Jean Hyman and gave her the address of the website. She reads the printed copy of the Newsletter that David Niman sends to her mother, who is now 85 and lives in Southport. Jean Hyman lives near Barnet, North London
Since the sale of the shul, there are no more than 18 of us left in Middlesbrough. We only see each other when David Simon, who still lives in Stokesley, decides to have a friendly coffee morning. Since the shul was sold, Dennis and Susan Broady left for Manchester, as did Kay Simons, who also moved there recently to be near her daughter Helen and her 3 children in Cheadle.
The sad passing of John Bloom last year brought people from Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds. The Stockton Jewish cemetery was packed with hundreds of mourners, many of whom were his fellow solicitors - John Bloom having been ex-President of the North East Law Society.
Most of those who are left and who are still interested in Yiddishkeit, go to Darlington Reform services but I`m still old-fashioned enough to go to the big Orthodox shul in Newcastle.
As for the shul, it did not succeed as a Youth Centre and has recently been sold again by the agents Dodds Brown to a small Billingham property company. It is now being converted into 12 disabled flats. I went inside recently - the marble staircase and entrance remain the same. It will be ready in July. Gwen Lamb Middlesbrough,England [email protected]
I am Ronnie Goodman. It was nice to receive the Kehilat Middlesbrough Newsletter [Ed note: Many thanks once again to David Niman for sending out the printed copies]. I now live in Edinburgh, having moved from Green Lane, Middlesbrough.
I was born in Cannon Street, Middlesbrough, in April 1922. My mother had a little shoe shop. Lionel Levy had a pawn shop on the other corner. When I was 10 years old, we moved to London and then to Leeds.
During my youth my friends were Ronnie Niman, Mayer Baum, David Joseph, David Breckner, and Alan Freeman.
I joined the RAF in 1940, serving in North Africa and Italy. I was demobbed in 1946. When the war in Italy was over and having served more than three years abroad, I got three weeks leave. I went to see my aunt Bella Doberman in Middlesbrough. It just so happened that Rabbi Miller’s daughter, Naomi, was getting married and I went to the wedding. There I met my wife, Anne Bloom, a lovely lady. We married in 1947.
Some historical information: My grandfather, Solomon Aaron Kaufman, was the first Treasurer of the Community. He married Elizabeth Silvert (1863 – 1926). Their children were: Louis, Isabel (my aunt Bella Doberman), Leah, Freda and Bertha (my mother).
Carry on the good work. Ronnie Goodman Edinburgh, Scotland
My name is Nigel Kersh and I am living in Ra'anana, in Israel.
Recently I was contacted by a long lost cousin from Australia. In fact, she wasn't only long lost, I didn't even know she existed at all. To cut a long story short, we did a bit of Jewish geography, it would appear that her grandfather, Jack Kersh, and the Reverend Benny Kersh's father, Louis, were brothers. My father, Dennis Kersh, is the son of Michael Kersh, who was Jack and Louis's brother. It's all a little complicated, but it's prompted me to do a bit of family tree exploring.
I found your name on the Middlesbrough Synagogue Newsletter site, and I wondered if you could help me uncover any information on my distant cousin, the late Reverend Benny Kersh. If you have any personal knowledge, or if you could point me in the direction of any of his relatives, then I would be truly grateful. Nigel Kersh Ra'anana, Israel