Sunderland Jewish Community

Other Sunderland Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Educational & Theological

• Menorah School^(vi) - List of Headmistresses and 1962 Officers

Sunderland's Menorah School, providing both secular and religious studies, commenced activities in Autumn 1958, initially with a kindergarten group of eight children, using a room provided by the Beth Hamedrash. By 1962 it had grown to four primary school classes and 60-70 children and by 1964 there was a full complement of classes for children aged 4 to 11. At one stage there were over 100 pupils. In 1961, the school moved to a new building at 21 Thornhill Park. However, as the community contracted, coupled with a lower birth rate, there was a sharp decline in numbers beginning in the 1970s. The school moved to premises adjoining the Ryhope Road synagogue in about 1978 and closed in the 1980s.^(vii)

• Hebrew School of the Sunderland Hebrew Congregation

• Sunderland Kolel, Centre for Advanced Rabbinics (now moved to Gateshead)

• Sunderland Yeshiva (now moved to Gateshead)

• Talmud Torah of Sunderland Beth Hamedrash

• Yeshiva of Rabbi Hurwitz

Other Institutions & Organisations

• Institutions associated with the Sunderland Hebrew Congregation

• Institutions associated with the Beth Hamedrash

• Retirement Home & Refugee Hostel:

  • The North East "Joel Intract Memorial" Home of Rest for Aged Jews - List of Officers

This Home, opened on 22 September 1946, was a regional retirement home for aged Jews in the Northeast of England. The home was made possible as the result of a generous gift by Joseph Intract of Newcastle of a large house at 3 Gray Road, Sunderland, on 1½ acres of ground, which was suitable for conversion into a retirement home for some thirty residents. The conditions laid down by Mr. Intract, all of which were accepted, were that the home was to be open to both men and women; that it was to be conducted on strictly orthodox lines; and that it would be named in memory of his late brother, Joel. The home included a synagogue on the ground floor. A new wing was added in 1957 and a further extension took place in 1962.^(viii) The home closed in the late 1990s and was transferred to Philip Cussins House in Newcastle.

• The Sunderland Children's Hostel - Refugee Committee - List of Officers

In June 1939, a hostel was set up in Sunderland, in conjunction with the South Shields community, to give a home and refuge to young Jewish girl refugees, aged five to fourteen, who had escaped Nazi oppression (and near certain death) in Germany and Czechoslovakia and who had reached England by way of the Kindertransport. The hostel, which initially housed 32 girls, later reduced to 24 when eight found relatives in Britain, was at 2 Kensington Esplanade, Sunderland. The building had been provided by Julius Behrman and following the war, in 1946, it was transferred free of charge to became the first home of the Sunderland Yeshiva.^(ix)

• Religious Organisations:

  • Chevra Kadisha, Hachnasat Orachim and Chevra Tehillim Societies - List of Officers from 1896

A chevra kadisha (often referred to as a burial society in English) is the association which is charged with preparing the body of the deceased for burial according to Jewish tradition and ensuring that it is protected from desecration until burial. The Sunderland Chevra Kadisha, which encompassed both congregations in the town, was formally organised in 1869.^(x)

• Board of Shechita (c.1938-1965), later United Shechita Board (c.1965-c.2000) - List of Officers

• Welfare Organisations:

  • Sunderland Hebrew Board of Guardians - List of Officers

Founded on 24 July 1869, as the Sunderland Hebrew Benevolent Society, until some time between 1877 and 1992, when the above name was adopted. Its object were for the relief of Jewish Poor.^(xii) 

Year:	1895	1898	1899	1900	1901/2	1902/3	1904/5	1905/6	1906/7	1907/8	1908/9	1909/10
Annual income:	£120	£130	£130	£140	£140	£200	£252	£251	£260	£268	£276	£171
Number relieved:	500	479	325	452	607	525	743

• Sunderland Young Men's Hebrew Benevolent Society (founded 1870)^(xiii) - List of Officers

• Sunderland Hebrew Ladies Benevolent & Palestine Welfare Society - List of Officers

Founded by at least 1896 and known as the Maternity Society until about 1900 and then as Sunderland Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society until about 1925. Its objects were initially "to assist poor Jewish women", but in 1925 this was expanded to "to assist poor and ailing Jewish women and further women's welfare in Palestine". It continued to exist until at least 1959.^(xiv)

• Jewish Dorcas (c.1921-c.1924)

• Orphan Aid Society, branch (from at least 1896) - List of Officers

• Jewish Association for the Protection of Girls and Women, Sunderland Branch at least 1922 to 1952^(xv) - List of Officers

• Literary & Social Associations

  • Jewish Social and Literary Club - List of Officers

The club, whose address was 22 Murton Street, Sunderland, was active from at least 1903 until the 1930s.^(xviii)

• Jewish Literary Circle - List of Officers

Various Jewish literary associations had existed in Sunderland at different times, dating back to the latter part of the nineteenth century, when distinguished guests would be invited to address the literary group. However, by the early years of the twentieth century the literary society appears to have disappeared. In 1911, it was relaunched by Sol Novinski and was known as the Jewish Literary & Debating Society. In about 1920, the society was reorganised and became known as the Jewish Literary Society, adopting the name Jewish Literary Circle in about 1926. Over the years meetings were held at a number of venues, including Lawrence Street, Hudson Road, Boilermakers' Hall (Norfolk Street), Unity Chambers (Frederick Street) and the Ryhope Road Synagogue Communal Hall. The "Lit" was continuously very active and in full bloom until the outbreak of World War II. However, although it continued for some years following the war, it never fully regained its former self, despite several attempts to reorganise it.^(xix) In about 1955, it merged with the Sunderland Judeans Sports Club to form the Sunderland Jewish Club.^(xx)

• Friendly Societies, Lodges, etc.:

  • Hebrew Benefit Society (founded 1864) - List of Officers

Year(xxi):	1898	1902	1906
Members:	50	56	50

• B'nai Brith Sunderland Lodge No. 1300 - in existence during at least the 1940s.^(xxiv)

• Hebrew Order of Druids - c.1906-c.1924^(xxv) - List of Officers

• Order of Ancient Maccabæans - Mount Pisgah Beacon, No 16 - c.1919-c.1938^(xxvi) - List of Officers

• Grand Order of Israel (Samuel Daiches Lodge) - c.1924-c.1931^(xxvii) - List of Officer

• Order Shield of David - c.1924-c.1934^(xxviii) - List of Officers

• Sunderland Council of Jewish Friendly Societies - List of Officers

In existence from at least 1924 to at least 1934. It was formed with the objects of collecting funds for distressed Jews in the Ukraine.^(xxix)

• Women's Organisations

  • Various Jewish Ladies & Women's Guilds and Leagues - Lists of Officers

Over the years, a number of ladies or women institutions had been listed in Jewish Year Books, commencing in 1909, and, in most instances, it was not clear as to whether they were connected to a specific congregation or were communal. These institutions included the Jewish Women's Guild, Jewish Ladies Guilds, Royal Infirmary (Jewish Ladies Guild), League of Jewish Women, Guild of Jewish Women and the Jewish Women's War Service Committee.^(xxx)

• Youth and Sports Organisations:

  • Judæans and Sunderland Jewish Club - Lists of Officers

The Sunderland Judæans were active from at least 1936 until World War II (or possibly for a short while after it ended).^(xxxiv) However, while it was still active, a Judæan Sports Club (affiliated with British Maccabi) appears to have been formed in about 1938. It is unclear whether this remained active during, and for the first few years following, World War II but by about 1949, it was again active until about 1955.^(xxxv) In that year a Delegate Committee was formed to oversee the amalgamation of the Judæan Sports Club with the Sunderland Jewish Literary Circle,^(xxxvi) to form the Sunderland Jewish Club, which does not appear to have been active for long and possibly ceased to exist by about 1959.^(xxxvii)

• Young Zionists Associations - Lists of Officers

  • Junior Zionist and Literary Society - c.1919 to c.1921^(xl)

  • Young Zionist - c.1936 to c.1938^(xli)

• Junior Jewish National Fund Commission - c.1934 to c. 1938^(xlii) - List of Officers

• Young Mizrachi Society - c.1934 to c.1937^(xliii) - List of Officers

• Boy Scouts and Girl Guilds - late 1930s^(xliv) - List of Leaders

• Sunderland Bnei Akiva - active following World War II

• Sunderland Jewish Badminton Club - founded in 1951 and active until the 1970s.^(xlvii) - List of Officers (mid-1950s)

• Students Society - from at least 1973 to c.1982^(xlviii)

• Youth Representative Council - from at least 1975 to c.1983^(xlix)

• Jewish Youth Study Group - from at least 1978 to c.1986^(l)

• Zionist and other Israel Organisations

  • Zionist Association - List of Officers (1913 to 1938^(liv))

Sunderland always possessed a strong Zionist movement and ultimately many members of the community made aliyah to Israel. The first Zionist society was formed in about 1899 and Rabbi H. Hurwitz was a delegate to the 6th Zionist Congress in Basle in 1903.^(lv)

For Young Zionist associations - see above

• Joint Zionist Council - from at least 1954 to 1995.^(lvi) - List of Officers

• Ladies Zionist Society

• Jewish National Fund Commission - from at least 1919 to 1940^(lviii) - List of Officers

• Keren Hayesod - from at least 1925 to 1938^(lix) - List of Officers

• Mizrachi Society - from at least 1945 to 1952^(lx) - List of Officers
  For Young Mizrachi, see above

• Friends of Anti Tuberculosis League of Israel - from at least 1952 to 1959^(lxi) - List of Officers

• Israel Medical Aid Society - from at least 1963 to 1994^(lxii) - Hon. Secretary

• Miscellaneous

  • Anglo-Jewish Association, Sunderland branch (from at least 1896)

  • Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men & Women (AJEX)^(lxvi) - List of Officers

  • Council of Christians and Jews - at least 1946 to 1959

  • Judæan Section of St Johns Ambulance Brigade - from at least 1948 to 1959^(lxvii) - List of Officers

  • Naturalization Society (from at least 1896)

  • Public Relations Committee - from at least 1948 to 1959^(lxviii) - List of Offices

  • Trades Advisory Council - from at least 1945 to 1959^(lxix) - List of Officers