Manchester Jewish Museum connects Jewish stories to the world and to our society, exploring both our differences and similarities and celebrate what makes people unique and connects us all.
The museum first opened in 1984, housed in a Grade II listed, former Spanish and Portuguese synagogue in Cheetham Hill, one of the most diverse areas in Manchester. Following a £6m redevelopment and extension the new museum includes a new gallery, vegetarian café, shop, learning studio and kitchen, as well as complete restoration of their beautiful synagogue.
The synagogue was built in 1874, designed by architect Edward Salomons to reflect the Spanish and Portuguese roots of the Sephardi community it served. It stands as a perfectly preserved example of Gothic Revival architecture.
The museum’s new purpose-built gallery displays highlights from their collection of over 31,000 objects including over 530 oral histories. It uses a range of object displays, digital technologies and film and sound installations to tell the social history of Jewish Manchester through the universal themes of journeys, communities and identities.
Through their collections, events and ideals the museum seeks to spark a reaction, inspire change and champion the knowledge that there is more that binds us together than separates us.
