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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Laura Sharman

Landmark synagogue set to close after 70 years for Gary Neville's £200m project

A landmark synagogue is set to close after 70 years to make way for a £200m redevelopment project by Gary Neville.

The former Manchester United footballer is backing plans to transform the Manchester Reform Synagogue into a 41-storey tower and hotel.

Leaders agreed to sell the building for £15m last year, allowing Neville's long awaited scheme to go ahead.

The 1953 site, which is the only synagogue in the city centre, will close its doors for the last time after a final service on Sunday.

Work began earlier this year after the original plans sparked huge backlash.

Principal Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen said the move comes with a "mix of emotions" but marks "a time full of potential" for the community.

"In some ways I'm really sad because the building itself holds a lot of memories for the community," she told Manchester Evening News.

Manchester’s Reform Synagogue (Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
A five-star luxury hotel and apartments is soon to take its place (PA)

"But at the moment, I'm mostly excited about it. We've been waiting for a really long time and the building is falling apart.

"Part of the ark which holds the holy scrolls fell down last week. We've got a real chance to build something new now."

The Manchester Reform Synagogue held its final Shabbat service on Saturday before hosting a special deconsecration service with a procession of holy scrolls on Sunday.

Now its more than 700 members are preparing to settle into a new home with the Manchester Universities’ Chaplaincy.

The synagogue has been at the site since 1953 (Manchester Evening News)

And the building, bought by a group of US investors and the Relentless Group backed by Neville, is set to be demolished.

It follows around two decades of talks with developers over the future of the synagogue.

Plans were finally approved in 2018 after the synagogue's members decided to sell the site and move elsewhere.

The community will decide what comes next with "everything on the table" including potentially merging with a reform synagogue in northern Manchester.

The proposed 700,000 sqft development (PA)
The plans include a 39-storey glass tower with a mix of apartments and a luxury hotel (MEN MEDIA)

Rabbi Robyn said a three-month engagement project which starts in the new year will focus on the needs of the community and seek to honour its history.

However, it's "no secret' that she would love to have a presence in the city centre.

"I think to have a Jewish community at the heart of the city is vital. But really, it's for the community to say," she continued.

"Whatever we'll do will take a while to work out, but we don't want to wait as long as we've waited before."

Revised August 2017 plans (MEN MEDIA)

The congregation currently includes people from all over Greater Manchester and beyond while people from other countries join the hybrid services online.

The city centre reform community originally met on Park Place which was then a busy Jewish neighbourhood.

When the building was bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1941, it moved to the current site on Jackson's Row which is now up for demolition.

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