Much of the history of St Annes Synagogue is captured on its website and in its synagogue boards – here we present some of the memories behind the names
Synagogue boards (photo courtesy of Glen Berd)
1940s
1940 the community buys the St Annes Mission Chapel on Orchard Road to use as a synagogue. Aaron Harris is elected as its President. The Consecration ceremony was attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Lytham, the Town Clerk and other civic dignitaries together with the Ministers of Blackpool, Preston, Leeds and London synagogues.
[For an image of the opening, see my related piece ‘My friend Corinne and unexpected connections at https://jscn.org.uk/my-friend-corinne-and-unexpected-connections/]
Louis Levison, who had evacuated from Sheffield in 1939 with his wife Hannah, was Synagogue Warden in that year and was honoured as Chatan Torah in 1941. The Levisons’ son, daughters, grandchildren and several cousins had also evacuated to St Annes by the end of that year.
A Youth Zionist Youth Society and a Habonim group were established at the synagogue by its ministers, Reverends Alexander Jaffe and Sidney S. Ginsburg in 1943. In 1946 Rev Leslie Hardman, who had served the community in 1934/35, came to Orchard Road and gave a talk on his experiences on entering Belsen as an Army Chaplain.
Mark R remembers that his grandmother Dorothy Rubin was a regular attender at the synagogue and was highly involved with the St Annes Womens’ Zionist Society founded in 1942. Many of the Society’s fund -raising events were held at her home including a garden Party in August 1944 which raised £500.
Maureen B‘s father-in-law Julius Benson served on the synagogue council and was Synagogue Warden in the 1940s.
1944 Maureen’s father Philip Lewis, who served on the synagogue council, was honoured as Chatan Bereshit. He and his wife Bessie set up the synagogue’s Co-ordinated Charities Committee.
David S‘s father Joseph was a regular attender at the synagogue and was involved in the Literary and Social Society. He was the synagogue’s representative on the Board of Deputies in 1946. David and his brother Michael attended Hebrew classes. David recalls being taught by Reverend Feldinger. His friend Cedric’s father, Louis Jeffay, presented the synagogue with a Torah scroll in 1940 and served as the synagogue Honorary Secretary from 1945-1949.
Anne C recalls that her mother, Hilda Goldstone, was a founder member of the synagogue Ladies Guild and the League of Jewish Women in the 1940s. She was also the chairman of the Chevra Kadisha and of the Womens’ Zionist Society and was Billeting Officer with Bessie Lewis. Anne has fond memories of Reverend Feldinger and Reverend Black, who were appointed to the synagogue in 1946.
In 1947 Pauline P’s father Harry Green and his friend Joseph Rapaport were among a group of men elected on to the Provincial Liaison Committee of the Jewish Defence Committee. This had been set up by the Board of Deputies to cover St Annes and surrounding area for the purpose of combatting anti-Semitism and to maintain good relations between Jews and non-Jews. Other committee members included Emanuel Raffles as chairman; Johnny Btesh; Joseph Sassoon; Charles Lipshaw; Jack Lynn; Philip Lewis; M. J. Stone; Ben Dulberg; Dr Denham; Jeffrey and Basil Benson; Jack P. Rose; Aaron Harris; L. Jeffay and P. Zerny.
In 1947 Louis Jeffay and Joseph Sassoon were honoured as the two Chatanim (Bridegrooms of the Law) The Jewish Chronicle in June 1949 reported that the Literary and Social Society had made a presentation to Joseph Sassoon on his departure to Manchester. He was also made the Society’s Honorary Life President.
Mark R recalls attending communal Passover dinners at the Chaseley Hotel. The family attended the synagogue on Orchard Road on Sabbath and Festivals. They lived in St Annes between 1945 and 1949.
The barmitzvah of Raymond Kemp took place at Orchard Road in 1949. The Kemps were one of several families who made St Annes their home during the War. That year Cedric Jeffay also celebrated his Barmitzvah. David S remembers it well.
1950s
Anne C‘s father Mark Goldstone was a member of the synagogue council and was elected as an Elder in the early 1950sas was Ben Dulberg. Ben was responsible for setting up a childrens’ library at the synagogue in the 1940’s. Anne also has fond memories of Arthur Smith and family who came to St Annes from Sheffield. Arthur served on the synagogue council with Anne’s father.
1954-1956 Philip Lewis served as Synagogue President.
Barbara F’s parents Reva and Jack Lynn were highly involved with the synagogue. Barbara remembers Reverends Black and Feldinger. Reva and Barbara were very keen on amateur dramatics. The Synagogue’s Social and Literary Society had a drama section. Barbara also recalls attending FJYS Summer and Winter Schools in the early 1950’s.
St Annes Drama Group, 1950s
Joseph Rappaport was Chairman of the Social and Literary Society until his death in 1956. Pauline P recalls that he and his wife adopted two Austrian teenage refugees.
Madeleine J recalls that her parents Percy and Constance Brown were staunch members of the synagogue. Constancewas involved in the Ladies Guild.
St Annes Shul Ladies Guild summer 1950 – courtesy Shul by the Sea website
Madeleine attended the Hebrew classes where she was taught by Rev Myerowitz and Rev Feldinger. She was a member of the Habonim Youth club. She also recalls going to the Blackpool Jewish Youth centre in the 1950s. She remembers the Harris family well.
In 1951 Aaron and Fanny Harris donated funds to the synagogue for the erection of a Tahara House,a place used for the ritual of preparing the body for burial according to Jewish custom.
In 1959 the foundation stone for the new synagogue on the Orchard Road site was laid. Philip Lewis was given the honour of laying the stone with an engraved silver trowel. It was presented to him by Harry Satinoff the Synagogue President.
Foundation Stone Laying Trowel 1959
1960s
In 1962 Madeleine B married Lawrence Jackson, the first marriage to be held in the new synagogue building. They had met at St Annes open-air swimming pool, a popular rendezvous for young Jewish people from all parts of the North West.
Sudden death of Synagogue Treasurer, 62-year-old Dr Samuel Leviten in 1963. He came to St Annes in 1948 where he was in general practice and served as a police surgeon. He was one of several Jewish doctors in the town recalled by many of the interviewees.
1962-1966 During his second term as Synagogue President, Philip Lewis welcomed the Chief Rabbi to St Annes
Chief Rabbi Brodie (third from left) at the dedication of the Synagogue in 1961
The Hubert family became highly involved with the St Annes Hebrew Congregation in the mid 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Arthur, a refugee from Germany arrived penniless in 1939, having lost most of his family in the Holocaust. He built up a scrap metals business in Blackburn which grew into a multi- million pound enterprise. He, his wife Martha and son Walter were renowned for their philanthropy to Jewish Orthodox causes in England and Israel. Arthur served as President of Orchard Road and donated a Torah scroll to the synagogue in 1971.
Credits:
Compiled by Hilary Thomas from research and interviews conducted by Hilary in 2020 with Madeleine J, Maureen B, Anne C, Barbara F, Pauline P, Mark R, David S.
We thank Maureen and Barbara for images used in this article.