the former

Thornton-Cleveleys Synagogue

and Jewish Community

Cleveleys, Lancashire

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Thornton-Cleveleys

The twin towns of Thornton and Cleveleys are situated in the Fylde peninsula, immediately to the north of Blackpool. They are located in the borough of Wyre in the county of Lancashire. Wyre was formed in 1974 upon the merger of a number of authorities, including the Urban District of Thornton-Cleveleys, which had been formed in 1927.

Thornton-Cleveleys Jewish Community

A small Jewish community developed in Thornton and Cleveleys during World War II primarily by evacuees from heavily populated areas, but did not survive long after end of the War.

Congregation Data
Name:	Thornton-Cleveleys Synagogue
Synagogue Address:	8 Cleveleys Road (from 1941). The synagogue's address is later described as at the Congregational Hall, Cleveleys, which may be the same address⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Date Founded:	Established in July 1941,⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ primarily by war evacuees.
Status:	Closed in about 1947.^(iv)
Ritual:	Orthodox - Ashkenazi
Minister:	Rev. Moshe O. Grosskopf - from 1941 until about 1947^(vii)
Lay Officers:	Presidents 1941-c.1943 - Sidney Fink^(viii) 1943-c.1947 - Sol Green^(ix) Treasurers 1941-c.1942 - D. Berkovitch^(x) c.1942-c.1943 - Jack Diner^(xi) 1943-c.1947 - M. Dancyger^(xii) Hon. Secretary 1941-c.1947 - Bert Adler^(xiii)	Vice Presidents 1941-c.1943 - J. Barnes^(xvi) 1943-c.1945 - I.N. Ross^(xvii) Wardens 1941-c.1943 - M. Brickman^(xviii) 1943-c.1945 - I. Cohen^(xix) 1945-c.1947 - J. Cohen^(xx)
Membership Data:	1945 - 29 seatholders.^(xx)
Cemetery:	There is no Jewish cemetery in Thornton-Cleveleys. The nearest Jewish cemeteries are in Blackpool.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Reserved. (ii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941 gives the former address and the Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947 give the latter. ↵ (iii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941 on the opening of the synagogue. ↵ (iv) The congregation was last listed in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵ (v) and (vii) Reserved. (vii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941 on appointment and Rev. Grosskorpf listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. To view a short profile of Rev. Groddkorpf - hold the cursor over his name. ↵ (viii) Mr. Fink was elected as president at the inaugural meeting of July 1941 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941) but was not among those elected at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943). ↵ (ix) Mr. Green was elected as president at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943) and was still listed as president in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵ (x) Mr. Berkovitch was elected as treasurer at the inaugural meeting of July 1941 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941) and was not only among those not elected at annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943), the report of such meeting indicated that Mr. Diner had been treasurer prior to such meeting. ↵ (xi) The report of the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943) indicated that Mr. Diner had been treasurer prior to such meeting, although he had not been elected at the inaugural meeting of July 1941. ↵ (xii) Mr. Dancyger was elected as treasurer at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943) and was still listed as treasurer in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵ (xiii) Mr. Adler was elected as hon. secretary at the inaugural meeting of July 1941 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941) and was still listed as hin. secretary in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵ (xiv) and (xv) Reserved. (xvi) Mr. Barres was elected as vice-president at the inaugural meeting of July 1941 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941) but was not among those elected at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943). ↵ (xvii) Mr. Ross was elected as vice-president at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943) but no vice-president was listed in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵ (xviii) Mr. Brickman was elected as warden at the inaugural meeting of July 1941 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 25 July 1941) but was not among those elected at the annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943). ↵ (xix) Mr. I. Cohen was elected as warden at annual meeting of November 1943 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 November 1943), whereas the Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947 list a Mr. J. Cohen as warden, who could be the same person ↵ (xx) Mr. J. Cohen was listed as warden in the Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947 and may be the same person as the Mr. I. Cohen who is listed as his immediate predecessor. ↵ (xxi) The Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to the Thornton-Cleveleys Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Selected Press Reports relating to the Thornton-Cleveleys Jewish Community.

Communal Records
Registration District (BMD):	Lancashire (since 1 June 2006) - Link to Register Office website Previous Registration Districts: Flyde - from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1974; Fleetwood - 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1982; Blackpool & Fylde - 1 April 1982 to 1 April 1998; and Fleetwood & Fylde - 1 April 1998 to 1 June 2005. (All registers would now be held by the current office.)

Blackpool & Fylde Jewish Community home page

World War II Evacuee Communities

Jewish Congregations in Lancashire

Jewish Communities of England home page

Page created: 23 August 2005
Page most recently amended: 10 September 2023

Research by David Shulman and Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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