Closing shul seeks new home for its precious Torah ark
The decision to close the shul was made after it became clear that the building in which it resides has been sold to a commercial provider, leaving no room for the synagogue.
A Birmingham shul forced to close after almost 100 years is looking for a new home for its precious Torah arks.
The decision to close The Andrew Cohen Shul was made on Tuesday after it became clear the building in which it resides has been sold to a commercial provider, leaving no room for the synagogue.
Andrew Cohen Shul is situated within the Andrew Cohen House care home and has provided Jewish, as well as non-Jewish residents, the opportunity to experience “uplifting and lively shabbat and yom tov services, as well as somewhere to mark personal events,” according to a statement.
The decision to close was described as “emotional” as it has been “enthusiastically” supported by the Birmingham Jewish community, and also served as a place for students to daven until COVID-19 hit.
“It is very sad to say goodbye to our shul, where so many of us have memories of sharing special occasions with family and friends and helping those in the twilight of their days to continue to practice their faith, and sometimes learn new skills in doing so. Tears were shed at our meeting, but the committee is now getting down to the business of finding good new homes for the seforim and furnishings of the synagogue,” Synagogue president Dr Alan Stanton said.
Rabbi Arkush, Rabbi of Birmingham Jewish Community Care under whose auspices the home and synagogue have been run, said: “There has been a synagogue within the Jewish care home in Birmingham for nearly 98 years. Although this is the end of an era, there will still be individuals willing to visit people who would otherwise be alone on Shabbat.”
The final service will be at 1pm on Sunday 5 March and places must be booked in advance.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
