Press Reports relating to the York Jewish Community
1881 - 1895 compiled by
Harold Pollins
1912 - 1968 compiled by Steven Jaffe
Jewish Chronicle, 20 May 1881, page 1
Marriage on 17 May at residence of bride’s mother, Oxford House, Coventry,
Fannie, second daughter of late Levin Joel to Lionel H. Wolfe of Haxby, Yorks.
Jewish
Chronicle, 30 January 1882, page 1.
Stillborn son born on 10 January at Wolferville, Haxby, Yorks, to wife of
L.H.Wolfe
Jewish
Chronicle, 23 September 1892, page 14
Small number of Jews have recently settled in York. Applied to Chief Rabbi for
facilities to celebrate New Year and Day of Atonement. He has presented them
with Sepher and Shofar.
‘Divine service will therefore be held on the New Year in York for the first
time, in all probability, since the expulsion in 1290’.
Jewish
Chronicle, 1 September 1893, page 13
Jewish residents of York have formed a congregation. A synagogue is being fitted
up to be used in forthcoming holidays.
Jewish
Chronicle, 22 Sept 1893, page 18
Services were conducted by Rev M. Eker who also acted as Baal Tokeah, assisted
by Mr J, Rudolph. Miss Barnett has presented a mantle for the Sepher.
Jewish
Chronicle, 28 December 1894, page 17
The congregation celebrated Chanukah with the consecration of a Sepher Torah
J. Rudolph congratulated congregation on its success. The income from every
source has almost doubled in the last year.
Jewish
Chronicle, 20 April 1894, page 18
Congregation has suffered severe loss by demise of Levi Harris Wolfe (eldest son
of the late Joseph Wolfe of Sunderland) which took place last Sunday at
Bournemouth. Mr Wolfe assisted materially in establishing the congregation and
was elected shortly afterwards as Warden. He was a prominent member of the
Sunderland congregation.
Funeral in Sunderland on Tuesday. Service conducted by Rev J. Phillips.
Jewish
Chronicle, 5 October 1894, page 16
Services held at their synagogue in Aldwark during the New Year.
Mr Rudolph - Schacharit
Rev L. Toft - Musaph
Jewish
Chronicle, 26 October 1894, page 17
General meeting held last Sunday.
Elected:
J. Rudolph - President for 3rd year
Mr Peritz Vice-President
Committee: J. Rosenboam, M. Barnett, J. Israel, J. Allenbergh
Jewish
Chronicle, 17 May 1895, page 18
Pastoral tour of the Chief Rabbi. On Monday he was at York. Met at station by
President J. Rudolph, Rev L. Toft and Mr M. Rosenbaum.
Afternoon service in the synagogue at which the Chief Rabbi delivered a sermon.
Service attended by many Christians.
Jewish
Chronicle, 17 May 1895, page 20
Misses Rose and Ray Woolfe presented a handsome mantle for the Sepher Torah in
memory of their father.
Jewish
Chronicle, 4 October 1895
The annual general meeting of the York Hebrew Congregation was held on
Sunday last, when the election of the officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:
President, Mr. J. Rudolph (re-elected for the fourth time) ; Vice-President, Mr.
Morris; Committee, Messrs. M. Rosenbaum, H. Simon, J. Israel, J. Perretz; Hon.
Secretary, Mr. J. Cohen.
Jewish
Chronicle, 24 April 1912
May I crave the hospitality of your columns to appeal on behalf of the
York Hebrew Congregation, which is in a sadly critical condition, caused by the
departure of several members who were substantial supporters of that small community.
The remaining members are encumbered with debt and are unable to engage an official
to act as Reader, teacher, etc., owing to the precarious position
in which they are at present. As a conseqnenoe, their children are growing up in
entire ignorance of Hebrew and religion. If they were assisted to liquidate their
debts, they would then be able to appoint a resident official. The late Chief Rabbi
was most interested in the oongregation owing to the historical associations of
York with our coreligionists, and, but for his lamented decease, he would oertainly
have taken steps to relieve the community from its perplexities. I visit the congregation periodically,
and I know its requirements. I feel that it is essential
that regular classes should be established for instruction in Hebrew and religion.
I would therefore appeal to your generously-disposed readers for help to bring
about the desired consummation and would be thankful to acknowledge any sums
sent to me for that purpose.
Yours obediently,
M. ABRAHAMS
Great Synagogue, Belgrave Street, Leeds. Minuter
Jewish
Chronicle, 15 December 1939
MR. MONTAGUE JAMES HOWITTS (Horwitz), who has died in York at the age of fifty-eight, was for very many
years Treasurer of the York Hebrew Congregation. He had resided in the town for thirty-two years, and leaves a wife
and family.
Jewish
Chronicle, 13 November 1953
Mr. M. M. ROSSFIELD, Hon. Secretary of the York Hebrew congregation
writes: " Mr. Charles Hart, who has died here at the age of 66, was President of
the York congregation for 35 years and 'father' of this small Jewish community.
Jewish
Chronicle, 20 November 1953
Mr. SOLOMON MORRIS, the President
of the York Hebrew Congregation,
died last week at the age of 70. He
was well known in the city as a
hotelier, businessman and race horse owner.
Jewish
Chronicle, 20 November 1953
Mr. SOLOMON MORRIS, the President
of the York Hebrew Congregation,
died last week at the age of 70. He
was well known in the city as a
hotelier, businessman and race horse owner.
Jewish
Chronicle, 11 November 1966
York. Relations between the local
Jewish community - about a dozen
families - and the general populace
are most cordial.
Mr. Ben Sugar, affectionately
called by his Christian friends in
the town "Rabbi Sugar" is the
honorary secretary of the York
Hebrew Congregation, whose synagogue, about 80 years old, is above
a timber yard. Mustering a minyan, even for the High Festivals,
is not easy, and here is where the
Jewish students have been a great
boon.
For under the direction of
Stuart Selwyn, a third-year philosophy student from Middlesbrough, the batteries of this small, rather isolated community are being recharged.
He conducted the services in the
synagogue on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Among the congregants were three women inmates of the local open prison at
Askham Bryan.
The York community has hardly
any youngsters on its rolls,
although at the public school of
Bootham there are some 30 Jewish
pupils who receive Hebrew and
religious instruction periodically
from Rabbi Dr. S. Brown, of Leeds.
About six months ago, the Rev.
Malcolm Weisman, minister to the
smaller communities, helped to
re-form the ladies guild.
At a meeting I attended at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Sugar it was
decided to organise a communal
Seder this year in a hall of the
university, when the students will
be in residence, thus enabling town
and gown to enhance their mutual
relationship.
The York Jewish Student
Society, with about 15 members
(half the estimated number at the
university), is doubly fortunate in
that it enjoys the advice and frequent hospitality of Professor M. M. Woolfson, professor of
theoretical physics (the only
Jewish teacher on the academic
staff), and the warm friendship of
Lord James, vice-chancellor of the
university and former high master
of Manchester Grammar School.
The Jewish students greatly
appreciate the help and encouragement given them by Professor and
Mrs. Woolfson, whose home is
readily at their disposal for meetings. They also get together in the college rooms.
At a meeting I attended in Stuart
Selwyn's rooms at Langwith College, the chairman led a discussion on the religious foundations of
Judaism, revelation and the position of Judaism in the twentieth
century.
It was a lively, thought-provoking evening, testifying to the
students' quest for knowledge in
helping them to appreciate and
evaluate their Jewish heritage.
Jewish
Chronicle, 22 March 1968
Last found reference to York Hebrew Congregation.
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List of JCR-UK Articles and Press Extracts by Harold Pollins
Page created: 3 January 2012
Data expanded and page most recently amended : 25 May 2025
Formatting by David Shulman
