Wallasey Jewish Community

& Hebrew Congregation

Wallesey, Wirral, Merseyside

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Town of Wallasey

Wallasey (population about 59,000) is a town situated on the northwest corner of the Wirral peninsula, in northwest England, on the western side of the River Mersey and adjoining the Irish Sea. Its most south easterly section is Seacombe, which lies opposite Liverpool. Wallasey was a county borough, geographically in the county of Cheshire, until 1974 when it was incorporated into the newly-formed metropolitan borough of Wirral in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. In 1986, Wirral became a unitary authority, when the metropolitan county of Merseyside lost its administrative status, becoming purely a ceremonial county.

The Jewish Community

Although there was a small number of Jews in Wallasey from at least the middle of the nineteenth century, it was not until the early part of the twentieth century that organised Jewish congregations were established. Two such congregations were established, the Wallasey Hebrew Congregation (see below) and the Seacombe Synagogue (dealt with separately).

Congregation Data
Name:	Wallasey Hebrew Congregation
Address:	27a Falkland Road, Wallasey L44 8EN,⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ opened on 3 September 1911. The building, which had a seating capacity of 250 people, was constructed in 1868 and had been used at various times by several different Christian denominations before being acquired by the Jewish community. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. B. Benas, sen., and the event was marked by full civic honour's, Mayor J.T. Chester and the Mayoress, with members of the Corporation attending in state.^(iv) The synagogue remained in use until 1992, when the congregation decided to abandon its "old and crime-hit synagogue", which had been burgled four times in the previous two years.^(v) The building was later demolished.^(vi) (From 2010 the congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books with an address in Grant Road, Wallasey, However, as this was also the address of the congregation's hon. secretary, it was probably just a mailing address and not the address where services were held.)
Formation:	The congregation was established in 1911^(viii) on the acquisition of the synagogue. Prior to then, from 1909, the Jewish community had forming a minyan (which moved from place to place) and established a cheder.^(ix)
Status:	Status unclear.^(x) There is no current information about activities and the congregation is possibly defunct.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	The congregation was an unaffiliated provincial congregation under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.
Ministers: (To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over the name.)	Rev. Joshua Bach - minister from 1911 until 1913^(xiii) Rev. (later Rabbi) M. Levy - minister from 1915 until about 1932^(xiv) Rev. J. Shields - minister from about 1933 until about 1935^(xv) Rev. Yehuda Goodman - minister from about 1935 possibly until about 1945^(xvi) Rev. O. Werner - reader from at least 1945 and then minister from 1946 until about 1951^(xvii) Rev. I. Levy - reader in about 1946/7^(xx) Rev. Myer Levenstein - minister in about 1951/2^(xxi) Rabbi Asher Cohn - minister from 1952 until 1957^(xxii) Rev. Ivor Wachmann - minister from about 1958 until about 1962^(xxiii) Rev. Joseph Sinai Zalud - hon. reader during his retirement (about 1950s/1960s)^(xxiv) Rev. Stanley Cohen - minister from about 1963 until about 1967^(xxv)
Lay Officers:	Unless otherwise stated, the data below on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books, which ceased publication in 2015.^(xxviii)
	Presidents 1911-1912 - D. Liverman 1912-1915 - W. Dean 1915-1916 - P. Liverman 1916-1919 - M. Lisman 1919-1921 - L. Greenberg 1921-1926 - W. Dean 1926-1928 - A. Nathan 1928-1929 - Samuel Davies 1929-1930 - A. Nathan 1930-1938 - E.P. Mishon 1938-1939 - P.A. Curlender 1939-1940 - W. Dean 1940-1944 - Dr. Sidney Goldstone^(xxx) 1945-1947 - D. Mandell 1947-1950 - M. Wilson 1950-1951 - M. Graham-Morris 1951-1952 - L. Cowan 1952-1953 - L. Bubb 1953-1958 - B. Waldman^(xxxi) 1958-1959 - B.J. Birley^(xxxii) 1959-1969 - no data 1969-1979 - Dr. J. Walman 1979-1981 - P. Greenberg 1981-2015 - D. Daniels from 2015 - no data Wardens 1946-1950 - H.L. Cohen 1950-1952 - P. Salzman 1952-1956 - H. Cassel from 1956 - no data	Treasurers 1911-1912 - J. Mandel 1912-1914 - M. Berliner 1914-1915 - J. Davies 1915-1916 - M. Lisman 1916-1917 - L. Greenberg 1917-1919 - M. Davies 1919-1924 - A. Nathan 1924-1926 - M. Serodin 1926-1928 - D. Freedman 1928-1930 - E.P. Mishon 1930-1933 - H. Birley 1933-1934 - D. Freedman 1934-1936 - L. Cowan 1936-1938 - P.A. Curlender 1938-1939 - B. Davies 1939-1940 - P.A. Curlender 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - H. Solomon 1946-1947 - J. Brunswick 1947-1948 - M. Hadaly 1948-1949 - B. Waldman 1949-1950 - D. Mandell 1950-1952 - S. Nelson 1952-1954 - S. Michaels 1954-1955 - A. Daulby 1955-1956 - M. Wilson 1956-1957 - R. Daulby^(xxxiv) 1957-1958 - S. Freeman^(xxxv) 1958-1959 - J. Max^(xxxvi) 1959-1963 - no data 1963-1969 - G. Kleiman 1969-1979 - no data 1979-1981 - S. Turner 1981-1983 - D. Crosby 1983-1998 - N.J. Margetts 1998-2015 - D.J. Waldman from 2015 - no data
	Hon. Secretaries
	1911-1912 - D. Zablucdow 1912-1914 - M. Berliner 1914-1915 - D. Zablucdow 1915-1924 - I. Solomon 1924-1926 - I. Stein 1926-1930 - Henry Stein 1930-1933 - A.A. Cohen 1933-1939 - I. Lazarus 1939-1940 - J.E. Ellick 1940-1945 - no data	1945-1946 - A.A. Cohen 1946-1947 - I.S. Jacobs 1947-1949 - A.A. Cohen 1949-1959 - P. Zabludow 1959-1963 - no data 1963-1969 - P. Rosen 1969-1975 - A.A. Cohen 1975-1979 - P. Greenberg 1979-2015 - L.S. Goldman from 2015 - no data
Membership Data:	Reports & Survey^(xxxix) 1977 - 29 male (or household) members and 4 female members 1983 - 27 male (or household) members and 10 female members 1990 - 10 male (or household) members
Registration District:	Wirral, since 1 April 1998^(xl)- Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	There is no Jewish cemetery in Wallasey.

Notable Jewish Connections with Wallasey

(courtesy Steven Jaffe)

Arnold Chazen (1931-2002), born in Wallasey, was a professional singer, choir master at Wembley and Marble Arch synagogues and beadle of New West End synagogue from 1990 until 2002.
Sir Clifford Grant, born in Wallasey (died 2014) was senior resident magistrate in Kenya and Hong Kong. As Chief Justice of Fiji (1974-1980) he was briefly acting President of the island nation. He was knighted in 1977.

Other Wallasey Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Educational & Theological

Hebrew Schools - founded by 1927 and existed until at least 1940^(xlv)
Known Headmasters (other than the congregation's minister) - M. Miller (1927/8); and A. Silvery (early 1930s).
Religious Classes and Talmud Torah - from at least 1915.^(xlvi)
Talmud Study Circle - from at least 1924.^(xlvii)

Other Institutions

Wallasey Junior Literary Society - founded by 1915^(li)
Cycling and Rambling Club - founded by 1918^(lii)
Jewish Literary Society - founded by 1920^(liii)
Wallasey Hebrew Philanthropic Society - founded 1924^(liv)
Meccabi Tennis Club - founded by 1924^(lv)
Order Shield of David (later Rabbi M. Levy's Lodge Shield of David) - founded by 1927^(lviii)
Women's Welfare Society - founded by 1927^(lix)
Young Men's Hebrew Circle - founded by 1935^(lx)
Wallasey Women's Zionist Society - founded by 1939^(lxi)
Merseyside Jewish Refugee committee, Wallasey branch - established in 1939, under I. F. Rosen^(lxiv)
Wallasey Ladies Guild - founded by 1953^(lxv)
Wallasey Jewish Social and Cultural Society - founded by 1954^(xlxvi)

Wallasey Jewish Population Data
Year	Number	(Source)
1951	280	(The Jewish Year Book 1952)
1957	255	(The Jewish Year Book 1958)
1984	75	(The Jewish Year Book 1985)
1988	50	(The Jewish Year Book 1989)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.
(iii) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from the congregation's first appearance (1912) until the 1990s. ↵
(iv) History of Wallasey Churches website, accessed May 2024. ↵
(v) The Jewish Chronicle 20 November 1992. ↵
(vi) The History of Wallasey Churches website states that it was demolished in the later years of the twentieth century. ↵
(vii) Reserved.
(viii) The congregation was first listed in the Jewish Year Books 1912, and the 1945/6 edition specifically states it was established in 1911. ↵
(ix) History of Wallasey Churches website, accessed May 2024. ↵
(x) The congregation was still listed in the Jewish Year Book 2015, the last edition to be published. ↵
(xi) and (xii) Reserved.
(xiii) Rev. J. Bach was listed as minister and teacher of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1912 and 1913. ↵
(xiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 30 April 1915 reported on his induction. Listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1916 through 1924 (as Rev.) and 1925 through 1932 (as Rabbi). ↵
(xv) Rev. Shields was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1934 and 1935. ↵
(xvi) Rev. Goodman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1936 through 1940, after which publication ceased until the end of the war. He is again listed in the first post war edition (1945/6), but this may have been due to the fact that the publishers had not received updated information. ↵
(xvi) Rev. Werner was listed as reader of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 and then as minister in the editions from 1947 through 1951. ↵
(xviii) and (xix) Reserved.
(xx) Rev. I. Levy was listed as reader of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵
(xxi) Rev. Levenstein was listed as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1953. ↵
(xxii) Rabbi Cohn was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1954 through 1957. His appointment was reported in The Jewish Chronicle of 17 October 1952 and his recent resignation in recent resignation in The Jewish Chronicle of 1 November 1957. ↵
(xxiii) Rabbi Wallmann was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1962. ↵
(xxiv) Rev. Zalud's Jewish Chronicle obituary of 2 December 1966. ↵
(xxv) Rev. S. Cohen was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1964 through 1967. ↵
(xxvi) and (xxvii) Reserved.
(xxviii) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1919 through 1924, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1918 and continued in office until 1924. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. Jewish Year Books were not published during World War II subsequent to 1940. ↵
(xxix) Reserved.
(xxx) Dr. Golldstone's Jewish Chronicle Obituary 2 July 1976. ↵
(xxxi) B. Waldman was listed as president in the Jewish Year Books 1954 through 1956 and he was reported as being elected president in the Jewish Chronicle of 22 July 1955, 3 August 1956 and 12 July 1957. ↵
(xxxii) The Jewish Chronicle of 30 May 195B reported on J. Birley's election as president at the 1958 annual meeting. ↵
(xxxiii) Reserved.
(xxxiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 3 August 1956 reported on R. Daulby's election as treasurer at the 1956 annual meeting. ↵
(xxxv) The Jewish Chronicle of 12 July 1957 reported on S Freeman's election as treasurer at the 1957 annual meeting. ↵
(xxxvi) The Jewish Chronicle of 30 May 1958 reported on J. Max's election as treasurer at the 1958 annual meeting. ↵
(xxxvii) and (xxxviii) Reserved.
(xxxix) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵
(xl) Previous Registration Districts: Wirral - from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1974; and Birkenhead - from 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1998. All registers would now be held by the current office. ↵
(xli) to (xliv) Reserved.
(xlv) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1928 through 1940. ↵
(xlvi) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1916. ↵
(xlvii) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1925 through 1940. ↵
(xlviii) to (l) Reserved.
(li) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1916. ↵
(lii) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1919. ↵
(liii) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1921. ↵
(liv) Comment in the Jewish Year Book 1930. It remained listed until 1945/6. ↵
(lv) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1925. ↵
(lvi) and (lvii) Reserved.
(lviii) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1928, with change of name from the 1930 edition. ↵
(lix) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1928. ↵
(lx) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1936. ↵
(lxi) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1940. ↵
(lxii) and (lxiii) Reserved.
(lxiv) The UK Holocaust map. ↵
(lxv) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1954. ↵
(lxvi) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1954. ↵

Wirral Jewish Community home page

Jewish Congregations in Merseyside home page

Jewish Communities of England homepage

Page created: 2 March 2004
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 12 May 2024
Page most recently amended: 10 June 2024

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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