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Funded in-part by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Manchester Jewish museum has reopened its doors following a multi-million pound redevelopment
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 06 Jul 2021
The renovation work was carried out by Citizens Design Bureau and included a major extension Credit: Citizens Design Bureau
The Manchester Jewish Museum has reopened following a £6m (US$8.3m, €7m) two-year redevelopment that saw the museum close its doors in 2019.
New additions to the museum, which is housed in a Grade-II listed synagogue in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, UK, include a major extension with a new gallery, as well as a kosher-style vegetarian café, shop and learning studio. A learning kitchen, where visitors can explore Jewish culture through food, completes the offering.
The restoration was carried out by London-based design firm Citizens Design Bureau and was partially funded by a £3m (US$4m, €3.5m) grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A further £3m (US$4m, €3.5m) was raised from private donations, trusts and foundations.
“After years of planning, fundraising and consultations, plus a global pandemic to navigate through, we cannot believe we are finally here, ready to show the city and the world our beautiful museum,” said Max Dunbar, CEO of Manchester Jewish Museum.
“Before we did the work, you couldn’t even see the stained-glass windows in the synagogue. Most people didn’t even perceive it as a museum, they saw it as an old building with a few items on display. It was very tired and dated.
“Now it’s a contemporary, vibrant, 21st-century museum that brings together many of the issues we’re facing today: identity, migrations, how communities come together.”
The Long Waited, Weighted, Gathering
The UK’s only Jewish museum outside of London, Manchester’s Jewish Museum tells the stories of the city’s Jewish population; sharing details of its communities, history, heritage, immigration and identity.
It features a collection of more than 30,000 objects including a dress worn by Helen Taichner, a Jewish immigrant who arrived in Manchester from Poland in 1946, as well as a ceremonial trowel, a herring knife and hundreds of letters and photographs.
In addition, the museum has welcomed a new exhibition that aims to immerse visitors in the stories of the women who visited the synagogue.
Part of the Manchester International Festival, the exhibition, called The Long Waited, Weighted, Gathering, was created by Turner prize winner Laure Prouvost. Set in the Ladies Gallery, the installation combines film, sound and textiles to share the stories of the women who once gathered there. It runs until October 3, 2021.
Museums and galleries
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