the former

Wilmslow & District Jewish Community

Wilmslow, Cheshire

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Town of Wilmslow

Wilmslow (population approximately 30,000) is a town in Cheshire in north-west England, close to the border of Greater Manchester, situated on the river Bollin, a tributary of the river Mersey. Since April 2009, it has been part of Cheshire East, a unitary authority with borough status within the now purely ceremonial county of Cheshire. From 1974 to 2009, Wilmslow was part of the local government district and borough of Macclesfield within Cheshire. Prior to 1974, Wilmslow was an urban district within the county of Cheshire.

Wilmslow Jewish Community

A small Jewish community developed in Wilmslow during World War II composed primarily of evacuees from heavily populated areas, but closed shortly following the end of the war.

Congregation Data
Name:	Wilmslow and District Jewish Community⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	In 1942/3, services were held at Kennerley's Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Cohen.^(iv)
Date Founded:	Founded in September 1942, when high holy-day services were first held,^(v) presumably by evacuees from heavily populated areas.
Status:	Closed by about 1946^(vi)
Ritual:	Orthodox - Ashkenazi
Minister:	None known
Lay Officers:	Elected 1943^(ix) Chairman - L. Locker; Treasurer - A. J. Cohen; and Secretary - Lionel Cowan Committee - Mrs. Nathanson, A. J. Cohen and Mr. Weineger Serving in about 1945/6^(x) Chairman - H. Weiniger; Treasurer - Mrs. I. Cowan; and Secretary - Lionel Cowan
Registration District:	Cheshire East (since 1 April 2009)^(xi) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery:	There is no Jewish cemetery in Wilmslow.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) and (ii) Reserved. (iii) This was the name listed in Jewish Year Books and Jewish Chronicle reports of 19 March 1943 and 13 August 1943. ↵ (iv) Jewish Chronicle reports of 2 October 1942 and 19 March 1943. There was no address for the congregation listed in the Jewish Year Books. ↵ (v) Jewish Chronicle report of 19 March 1943. ↵ (vi) The congregation was listed (under Manchester) in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947, although no press reports of community activities were found after August 1943. ↵ (vii) and (viii) Reserved. (ix) Jewish Chronicle report of 19 March 1943. ↵ (x) These individuals were listed as officers of the congregation in both the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 and 1947. ↵ (xi) Previous registration districts: From 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1998 - Macclesfield From 1 April 1998 to 1 July 2007- Cheshire East From 1 July 2007 to 1 April 2009 - Cheshire. Any registers would now be held by the current office. ↵

Press Reports relating to
Jewish Community of Wilmslow

(extracted by Steven Jaffe)

The Jewish Chronicle of 2 October 1942
WILMSLOW (Cheshire) - The setting up of a permanent Jewish centre in Wilmslow is under consideration. Services - on the Holy-days have been held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Cohen, in Kennerley's Lane.
The Jewish Chronicle of 19 March 1943
... The Wilmslow and District Jewish Community was formed in September, 1942, when Holy-day services were conducted at the house of Mr. A. J. Cohen. Monthly meetings have since been held on the first Sunday of each month. Recently the following were elected: Messrs. L. Locker, Chairman; L. Cowan (15, Dean Drive, Wilmslow, Manchester), Hon. Secretary; A. J. Cohen, Treasurer; and Mrs. Nathanson, Mr. A. J. Cohen, and Mr. Weineger, Committee.
[Note: Lionel Cowan, hon. secretary of the community, was a leading advocate of pacifism in Manchester, see chapter 22 "Pacificism and Rescue: the case of Lionel Cowan" in Bill Williams, Jews and other Foreigners. Manchester and the rescue of the victims of European Fascism, 1933-40. S.J.]
The Jewish Chronicle of 13 August 1943
WILMSLOW (Cheshire) - The monthly meeting of the Wilmslow and District community was addressed by the Rev. I. Chazen, of Macclesfield, on "The Future of Jewry."
[No later reports of community activities found.]

Community Records

Archival records: 1942-1950 minutes and correspondence held by Manchester Archives and Local Studies (The National Archives).

World War II Evacuee Communities

Jewish Congregations in Cheshire

Jewish Communities of England home page

Page created: 23 November 2007
Page enhanced and notes added: 5 June 2024
Page most recently amended: 6 June 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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