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JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and
congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.
NOTE: We are not the official website of this
community.
City of Cork
Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) is the second largest city of the Republic of Ireland.
The city is a major port, although situated slightly inland from Ireland’s
southern coast proper, sitting on the estuary of the river Lee where it flows
into Lough Mahon and thence to Cork Harbour. Although geographically part of
County Cork, the city of Cork has a separate administration, and was officially
referred to as a “County Borough” until 2001, when the term was formally replaced
by “City”. Although the city has a population of about 120,000, there are well
over 185,000 living in the Greater Cork area.
Cork Jewish Community and Congregations
The first Jewish community in Cork, was a relatively small
community of Sephardi Jews
from Portugal in the mid-eighteenth century, of which relatively little is known.
Subsequently, an Ashkenazi Jewish community was established in the late
nineteenth century, which founded the Cork Hebrew Congregation in 1881. A short while after the founding of that congregation, there was
contention in the community and a second congregation, the Remnant of Israel Synagogue,
was established and the two rival congregations continued to exist in the
community until unity was restored after some thirty years. In 1915, there was another short lived breakaway congregation, the
Cork
Hebrew Congregation in Union Quay.
The community reached its zenith shortly after World War I, numbering 400-500
souls, but thereafter numbers gradually continued to decline. By February 2016,
only a handful of Jews remained in Cork and, due to these declining communal
numbers and unsustainable finances, the Cork Hebrew Congregation's synagogue closed
its doors and was sold, bringing to an end some 135 years of continuous Jewish
congregational presence in the city. However, following the closure of the
synagogue in 2016, a Reform-flavoured group was established, the
Munster Jewish Community.
Shalom Park at Monerea Terrace was developed in 1989. The land for this amenity was donated by Cork Gas Company, who also provided the traditional style lighting within the park.
The park name commemorates the Cork Jewish community, which originally settled in this area of the city having arrived as refugees.
(See further details, see
History, reproduced from the former Cork Jewish Community and former congregation's official website.)
Cork Synagogue, 10 South Terrace, September 2014
© David Shulman 2014
Congregation Data
(All data relates to Cork's principal congregation, unless otherwise
stated) |
Name: |
Cork Hebrew Congregation
also known simply as Cork Synagogue
and , in the early twentieth century, also known as the Old Hebrew Congregation(ii) |
Last Address: |
10 South Terrace, Cork, from about 1926(iii) |
Previous Addresses: |
The immediate previous address, from at least 1915, was 9 South Terrace(iv)
(which also housed the Talmud Torah after 1926).
Prior to 1915, the congregation appeared to be situated at 10 South
Terrace from about 1903.(v)
Prior to 1903, although the congregation's listed address was always in
South Terrace (since 1896), the situation is less clear as to the
exact number.(vi)
The congregation had
initially held services in a rented room in Eastville and then, from 1884 in
a room in Marlborough Street. |
Date Founded: |
1881(ix) |
Current Status: |
Synagogue was de-consecrated and sold due to
"declining communal numbers and unsustainable finances". The
Synagogue closed its doors on 7 February 2016.
For some years prior to closure services were held only monthly and on High Holy Days. |
Ritual: |
All of Cork's congregations were
Ashkenazi Orthodox (except for the earliest community, which was
Sephardi, and the present reform group) . |
Community Website: |
https://www.jewishcork.com -
although the congregation has closed this website is still maintained. |
Affiliation: |
Although none of Cork's congregations were affiliated
to any organisation,
the Cork Hebrew Congregation accepted the aegis of the Chief Rabbi
in London until the establishment of the office of Chief Rabbi of
Ireland in 1922. |
Local Jewish Press: |
At one time (at least from about 1954 to about
1958), the community had its own Jewish newspaper, the Cork
Jewish Times, whose editor was Mr. F. Sless.(x) |
Membership Data: |
Jewish Year Books (number of
seat-holders)(xi)
1897 |
1902 |
1904 |
1905 |
1909 |
65 |
35 |
40 |
30 |
25 |
|
Earlier
Congregation: |
The first Jewish community in Cork, was a relatively small community of Sephardi Jews.
It was founded by Jews
from Portugal who settled in the city in the eighteenth century. According
to certain sources (Roth
- Rise of Provincial Jewry), the community was established at some
time between 1731 and 1747. Other
sources (History
from Cork Jewish Community's website) state that the Sephardi Jews did not settle in Cork until 1772
(although there is reference in a
press report to Jews in the town in 1771). Relatively little is
known of these Jews and it is uncertain whether they established a
synagogue, although they had their own Jewish burial ground in Kemp
Street. This community appears to have died out by 1796. |
Rival Congregations: |
Remnant of Israel Synagogue
This rival congregation was established in
the early 1880s(xv) and merged with
the main Cork congregation in about 1913.(xvi)
Address
Services were held at 26 Marlborough Street, Cork (until about
1901/2),(xvii)
and subsequently, from at least 1903, the congregation's synagogue was at 24 South Terrace, Cork.(xviii)
Number of Seatholders(xix)
1902 |
1903 |
1905 |
1909 |
65 |
35 |
40 |
30 |
Ministers
Rabbi Abraham Sheftel Birzansky
from about 1882 until early 1900s.(xx)
Rev. Myer Elyan
from at least 1901 until its merger in 1913.(xxi)
Lay Officers
See list below. |
Union Quay street signs
© David Shulman 2014
|
|
Cork Hebrew
Congregation at Union Quay This rival congregation,
which also called itself the Cork Hebrew Congregation, split from the main Cork Hebrew Congregation in 1915.(xxiii)
Its relationship with the main congregation
appears to have been extremely acrimonious, as witnessed by the
chain
of letters to the Editor of The Jewish Chronicle of September and October
1915.(xxiv)
This congregation also claimed to be successor to the Remnant of Israel Synagogue.(xxv)
It lasted until about 1918.(xxvi)
Address 15 Union Quay, Cork.(xxvii)
Reader
Rev. Maurice David Hershman
(or Herschman)
was appointed chazan, shochet and teacher from October 1915(xxviii)
The congregation
did not appear to have appointed a minister.
Lay Officers
See list below. |
Current Jewish Group: |
Cork Jewish Communiy (formerly Munster Jewish Community) This group was
formed in 2016, following the closure of the Cork Hebrew Congregation's
synagogue and describes itself as "a community without a shul".
In July 2021, it changed its name from Munster Jewish Community to Cork
Jewish Community (adding in parenthesis, “serving the whole of Munster”).(xxix)
It is based in Cork, but includes the surrounding counties, and its membership
is a broad mix of Jews living, working, studying or visiting in Munster, the South-West corner of
Ireland.(xxx)
Although unaffiliated, the Community has a
predominantly Reform orientation and has been host to a number of
visiting Reform rabbis. |
Ministers of the Cork Hebrew Congregation:
(To view a short profile of a minister
or reader whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.) |
Rev. Myer Elyan
- from 1881 until about 1890s(xxxv)
Rev. Joseph Emanuel Myers
- from 1890 until 1898(xxxvi)
Rev. Eli Bloom
- from 1898 until about 1901(xxxvii)
Rev. M. Cohen - from about 1901
until 1903(xxxviii)
Rev. Jacob Lazarus Goldstone
- from about 1904 until about
1915(xxxix)
Rev. I. Henry Klein
- from about 1915 until 1920(xl)
(Alexander Levison reputedly served the congregation for some three
months in the 1920s)(xliv)
Rev. H. Khan
- shochet from 1920, then minister, reader and shochet from about 1922 until about 1927
(and thereafter shochet and assistant reader until at least 1937)(xlv)
Rev. Joseph Wolman
- from 1926 until 1937(xlvi)
Rev. Bernard Kersh
- from 1937 until 1952(xlvii)
Rev. Shalom Barron
- from 1952 until 1955(xlviii)
Rev. Mordechai Moshe Baddiel
- from 1957 until 1963(xlix)
|
Readers (Chazans) of the Cork Hebrew
Congregation: |
Rev. Matthias Bookman
- reader from 1898 until date unknown(l)
Rev. W. Weiner
- reader in about 1900(li)
|
Lay Officers - Cork Hebrew Congregation
from 1896: |
Unless where otherwise stated, the data on lay officers has been extracted from
Jewish Year Books, first published in 1896/97.(lv) |
Presidents
1896-1897 - Mark L. Cohen
1897-1898 - Elias Jackson
1898-1900 - Solomon Cruger(lvi)
1900-1903 - S.L. Goldfoot
1903-1904 - S. Trifer
1905-1908 - S. Spiro
1908-1909 - A.M. Sandler
1909-1910 - Wolfe Jackson
1910-1913 - S. Spiro, JP
1913-1914 - Max Newman
1914-1917 - S. Spiro, JP
1917-1920 - Wolfe Jackson
1920-1924 - Max Newman 1924-1930 - Wolfe Jackson
1930-1932 - J. Levin
1932-1936 - J. Epstein
1936-1937 - J. Levin
1937-1938 - L. Jackson
1938-1939 - M. Elyan
1939-1940 - Max Newman
1940-1945 - no data
1945-1946 - S.J. Goldberg
1946-1947 - M. Elyan
1947-1948 - Gerald Yael Goldberg(lvii) 1948-1949 - P. Diamond
1949-1952 - J. Jackson
1952-1953 - H. Sless
1953-1954 - Dr. L. Scher
1954-1955 - S. Vard
1955-1956 - A. Sless
Hon Secretaries
1902-1903 - S. Spiro
1905-1906 - A.M. Sandler
1906-1907 - S. Spiro
1907-1908 - A.M. Sandler
1908-1909 - S. Spiro
1909-1913 - I.I. Epstein
1913-1914 - I. Scher
1914-1918 - Louis Jackson
1918-1926 - J.T. Clein
1926-1928 - A. Sless
1928-1960 - J.T. Clein(lviii)
1960-1963 - Gerald Yael Goldberg(lvii)
1963-1964 - H. Cohen
1964-1969 - A. Elyan
1969-1977 - H. Cohen
1994-1999 - Fred Rosehill,
who continued to serve as chairman until closure of the
synagogue in 2012.(lix)
|
Vice Presidents
1925-1928 - J. Levin
1928-1929 - H. Sless
1929-1930 - J. Levin
1930-1932 - L. Goldberg
1934-1936 - J. Levin
1936-1937 - H. Sless
1937-1938 - P. Diamond
1939-1940 - J. Levin
1940-1945 - no data
1945-1946 - H. Elzam
1946-1947 - J. Jackson
1947-1949 - M. Nathan
1949-1951 - M. Elyan
Treasurers
1896-1897 - David Schar
1897-1898 - Jonas Goldwater
1898-1900 - Gadaliah Sayers
1900-1901 - Jonas Goldwater
1901-1903 - H. Jackson
1905-1909 - E.L. Jackson
1909-1911 - S. Criger
1911-1912 - I. Dimond
1912-1913 - L. Cohen
1913-1914 - L. Herman
1914-1915 - I. Marcus
1915-1917 - Joe Levin
1917-1918 - M. Levin
1918-1920 - J. Marcus
1920-1924 - J. Levin
1924-1926 - H. Sless
1926-1928 - J. Marcus
1928-1929 - L. Jackson
1929-1930 - H. Sless
1930-1931 - A. Sless
1931-1932 - H. Sless
1932-1934 - A. Sless
1934-1936 - H. Sless
1936-1937 - N. Kaitcer
1937-1938 - C.T. Clein
1938-1939 - B. Atkin
1939-1940 - S. Marcus
1940-1945 - no data
1945-1946 - S.J. Goldberg
1947-1948 - P. Cowan
1948-1952 - J.T. Clein
1952-1953 - H. Kaitcer
1953-1954 - J. Jackson
1954-1955 - H. Cohen
1955-1956 - C.T. Clein
|
Lay Officers - Remnant of Israel
Synagogue
from 1900: |
Presidents
1900-1901 - Philip Sayer
1903-1904 - L. Herman
1904-1906 - Max Newman
1906-1907 - D. Scher
1907-1909 - Max Newman
1909-1913 - I. Levin
|
Treasurers
1900-1901 - Harris Clein
1901-1902 - Joseph Levin
1906-1907 - S. Medalie
1907-1909 - S. Clein
1909-1913 - H. Wyne
|
Secretaries or Hon. Secretaries |
1900-1901 - J.I. Epstein
1901-1902 - B. Rostovsky
1903-1906 - Myer Sayers
1906-1908 - I. Marcus
|
1908-1909 - I. Marcus & B. Rostovsky(lx)
1909-1910 - I. Nathan
1910-1913 - Jacob Sayers
|
Lay Officers - Congregation at Union Quay: |
1915-1918 President -
A.H. Goldfoot; Treasurer - S.M. Criger;
Hon. Secretary - M. Cliffe |
Notes & Sources - These now appear towards the foot of this page,
instead of the foot of this box. However, the note can also still be viewed in a pop-up box when the cursor is held over the note number. |
Online Articles, Bibliography and Other Material relating to the
Cork Jewish Community
on JCR-UK
on third parties' websites
-
Nobody Visits Synagogue Now -
Vibrant Jewish Community in Irish City of Cork has Dwindled Away, article by John Corr in the Seattle Times, 26 August 1990.
-
Blogs by Patrick Comerford - The synagogues of Cork:
-
1, a lost Sephardic synagogue, blog dated 13 February 2020.
-
2, Cork Hebrew Congregation, South Terrace Synagogue, blog dated 13 February 2020.
-
3, Cork Hebrew Congregation, 15 Union Quay, blog dated 14 February 2020.
-
4, The Remnant of Israel, 24 South Terrace, blog dated 14 February 2020.
-
5, Munster Jewish Community ‘a community without a shul’, blog dated 15 February 2020.
-
Links to Various Press Reports on the Community 2012-2016,
including the Closure of the Synagogue.
-
Online Videos:
-
In 2017,
Cork Public Museum opened a permanent exhibition on the History of the Jewish community in Cork
-
press report
|
Other Cork Jewish Institutions & Organisations*
|
Educational & Theological
-
Hebrew and Religious Classes
(also known as Talmud Torah) (date founded not known),
address continued to be 9 South Terrace,
after congregation moved to 10 South Terrace.
-
National School (founded
1890)
|
Other Institutions & Organisations
-
Jewish Board of Guardians (founded 1902).
-
Jewish Athletics Association (founded by 1909).
-
Chovevei Zion (founded by 1911).
-
Literary and Social Society and Social Society (founded by by 1922).
-
Daughters of Zion (formerly Ladies Zionist Association) (founded by 1925).
|
* As listed in Jewish Year Books prior to World War II. |
Cork Jewish Cemetery Information
The entrance gates to the Cork Jewish Cemetery in Curraghkippane
© David Shulman 2014
|
|
The following are the present and past Jewish cemeteries in Cork:
-
Eighteenth century Jewish burial ground. Remains
of this cemetery, used by the short-lived Sephardi
community, were discovered in Kemp Street, on the
south-east corner of White Street, to the rear
of the Cork Hebrew Congregation's recently-closed
synagogue in South Terrace.
-
Cork Jewish Cemetery, Blarney Road,
Curraghkippane. Established in 1887 and extended in 1914
and 1947. Still in use.
For further information on Cork's Jewish cemeteries, see
IAJGS International Jewish Cemeteries Project - Cork)
|
Cork Jewish Population Data
In the scroll-down table below, the census figures
are marked with an asterisk (*) to indicate that such figures relate to the whole of
Munster, not just Cork. |
Year |
Number |
Source |
1861 |
2* |
1861 Census of Ireland |
1871 |
15* |
1871 Census of Ireland |
1881 |
44* |
1881 Census of Ireland |
1896 |
300 |
Jewish Year Book 1896/97 |
1897 |
350 |
Jewish Year Book 1897/98 |
1900 |
400 |
Jewish Year Book 1900/01 |
1918 |
450 |
Jewish Year Book 1919 |
1921 |
350 |
Jewish Year Book 1922 |
1946 |
300 |
Jewish Year Book 1947 |
1948 |
220 |
Jewish Year Book 1949 |
1950 |
320 |
Jewish Year Book 1951 |
1953 |
200 |
Jewish Year Book 1954 |
1958 |
154 |
Jewish Year Book 1959 |
1959 |
150 |
Jewish Year Book 1960 |
1963 |
75 |
Jewish Year Book 1964 |
1964 |
60 |
Jewish Year Book 1965 |
1969 |
70 |
Jewish Year Book 1970 |
1970 |
60 |
Jewish Year Book 1971 |
1975 |
50 |
Jewish Year Book 1976 |
1973 |
30 |
Jewish Year Book 1974 |
1983 |
50 |
Jewish Year Book 1984 |
1985 |
60 |
Jewish Year Book 1986 |
1991 |
30 |
Jewish Year Book 1992 |
2004 |
Two families and some scattered Jews in surrounding countryside |
Cork Hebrew Congregation's website |
*for all Munster. |
Notes and Sources:
(↵
returns to text above)
|
|
JCR-UK Ireland
home page
Page created: 31 January 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 11 January 2021
Page most recently amended: 26 My 2024
Research by David Shulman and Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman
Explanation of Terms |
About JCR-UK |
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Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk
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