JCR-UK

the former

Halifax Jewish Community

Halifax, Calderdale, West Yorkshire

 

 

   


JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and
congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Town of Halifax

The town of Halifax now forms part of the borough of Calderdale, which was a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire in the North of England. Calderdale was formed in 1974 from the merger of the county borough of Halifax with a number of neighbouring local authorities, all of which had been part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.  In 1986, Calderdale became a unitary authority when West Yorkshire lost its administrative status and became purely a ceremonial county.  Halifax (population about 82,000) had been a county borough since 1848.

Jewish Community

There have been reports of a small number of Jewish residents in Halifax since the mid-nineteenth century (see Jewish Chronicle reports 1851-2011). However, the only report of a congregation being formed was in the middle of the 1890s.

In addition, in recent years, the Caldervale Jewish Community Centre had been formed, centred in near-by Hebden Bridge, but it is uncertain whether this is still active.

 Congregation Data

Name:

Halifax Synagogue

Address:

The home of Mr. Philip Solomon, based upon the following press report appearing on page 20 of The Jewish Chronicle on 27 September 1895:

"A Minyan was formed among the few Jews in Halifax, and services were held at the home of Mr. Philip Solomon, who defrayed the cost of a Sepher Torah.  Mr. Barnett, of Leeds, officiated as Chazan, assisted by Mr. N. Cohen, who was Baal Tokeah. A Halifax paper published an essay on the New Year, written by one of the worshippers, Mr. Samuel Harris."

Formation:

Formed by at least by 1895(i)

Closure:

The congregation probably closed very shortly after it was formed.(ii)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

None known

Lay Officers:

Apart from those mentioned in the above press report of 27 September 1895, Nathaniel Lyons was listed as secretary of Halifax Synagogue in the Jewish Year Book 1896/7.

Registration District:

Calderdale, since 1 January 2003(iii) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery Details

There is no Jewish cemetery in Halifax or elsewhere in Calderdale .

 

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Halifax Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

 

Halifax Jewish Population Data

Year

Number

Source

1911

12 families - 60 residents (estimate)

National Census, extracted by Harold Pollins)

 

Notes & Sources
( returns to text above)

  • (i) Based upon the above mentioned Jerusalem Chronicle press report of 27 September 1895.

  • (ii) The congregation was only ever listed in the Jewish Year Book 1896/7 (the edition published).

  • (xxvi) Previous Registration District:  Halifax (from 1 July 1837 to 1 January 2003). Any registers would now be held by the current register office.


Jewish Congregations in West Yorkshire

Jewish Communities of England homepage


Page created: 2 August 2007
Page most recently amended: 20 November 2023

Research by Harold Pollins and David Shulman
Formatting by David Shulman


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