Congregation Data

Name:

Sephardi Congregation of South Manchester

Alternative Name:

Sha'are Hayim Synagogue (translation - "Gates of Life")

Address:

8 Queenston Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2WZ ⁽ⁱ⁾

The synagogue was designated a Grade II Listed Building (number 1246274) on 5 October 1988 (most recent amendment 6 June 1994). View description on Historic England website.

(The congregation is considered part of the "South Manchester" Jewish community.)

Formation:

Formed in about 1997⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ by amalgamation of:

Withington Congregation of Spanish and Portuguese Jews
of 8 Queenston Road (formerly Queen's Road until 1970's), West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2WZ

Previously at Mauldeth Road, Withington, Manchester M20, until 1926/7.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Sha'are Sedek Synagogue
(translation - "Gates of Righteous" Synagogue)
of Old Lansdowne Road (also known as Lansdowne Road), West Didsbury, Manchester M20 8NZ ^(iv) 

Founded 1904

Founded 1924 (a breakaway from the Withington Congregation)

Membership Data:

1915 - 55 seatholders (Jewish Year Book 1916)
1919 - 120 seatholders (Jewish Year Book 1920)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Sephardi - South Manchester was predominently Western Sephardic whereas Shaare Rahamim had an Eastern Sephardic or oriental tradition, with congregants mainly of Aleppan and Baghdadi origin. Followuing the merger, the congregation alternate between and combine the various Sephardic traditions and melodies.

Minister:

Rabbi Shlomo Ellituv - from 1997 merger to present (February 2017), having previously served as minister of Sha'are Sedek Synagogue from 1977.

Marriage Certification:

Registration District: Manchester

Local Authority:

West Didsbury and Withington are in the metropolitan borough of the City of Manchester, within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester (which no longer has any administrative powers).

From 1889 to 1974, the localities were in the county borough of Manchester (a unitary authority), geographically (although not administratively) within the county of Lancashire.

Cemetery Information:

For cemetery details, see Manchester Jewish Cemeteries Information on Manchester Jewish Community home page.