Tuesday 19 July 2011

Shaw St Synagogue

Shaw Street Synagogue
Kellys Directoy 1900


Sir ,
All information I can find relating to the "Shaw Street" synagogue tell of the building's origin as a Wesleyan chapel. This has me puzzled for I am unable to find a Wesleyan chapel in Shaw street just prior to 1908, when the chapel was supposedly converted to a synagogue. The only record I can find of a Wesleyan chapel in the close vicinity is in Moss Street, the southerly continuation of Shaw Street, where an early Georgian style building existed in the 19th century.

Can anyone help me locate this building, was it Shaw Street or Moss Street??

Grekko

7 comments:

  1. Dear Grekko,

    Congregation Data
    Name: Shaw Street Congregation, previously known as the New Central Synagogue.
    Address: Shaw Street, Islington, Liverpool (consecrated 1908)
    Current Status: Closed about 1939 (incorporated into Fairfield Synagogue)
    Date Founded: Shortly before 1908, on the merger of the New Beth Hamedrash and the Devon Street Congregation.
    Ritual: Orthodox - Ashkenazi
    Membership Data: 1938 - 75 seatholders (Jewish Year Book 1939)

    Regards

    Rob Ainsworth
    Liverpool History Society

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  2. Dear Grekko,

    The old Central Synagogue, Islington, destroyed in the Liverpool Blitz.

    Regards

    Rob Ainsworth
    Liverpool History Society

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  3. Hi Rob,

    I'm afraid that I cannot locate exact address or any images of the building but I do know that it was in Shaw Street itself.

    The building was originally a Welsh Wesleyan Chapel built in 1866 and had seating for 900 worshippers. It was purchased in 1907 and converted into a Synagogue and used as such until WW2. I think the building was then destroyed during the blitz.

    According to a footnote in Benas's 'Later Records of the Jews in Liverpool' an architectural description of the premises is to be found in Picton's 'Memorials'.

    Regards,
    Arnold Lewis

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  4. Dear Rob,

    Thank you for speedy reply and include information, however, the information is similar to that which I had already gathered and was part of the reasoning behind my enquiry about the actual location of the synagogue.
    What puzzles me is, the attached photo is cited as being the Shaw Street Synagogue, yet I have been unable to verify it's actual location in Shaw Street, pictorially or geographically. I need someone to identify it's position on Shaw Street.i.e : North or South End..... East or West side..

    Thanks again
    grekko

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  5. Dear David,

    using Kellys Street Directory for 1900 I have located the synagogue between 81 to 95 Shaw St. That means it is on the left-hand side heading way from the city centre.

    Regards

    Rob Ainsworth

    Web Administrator
    Liverpool History Society

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  6. Looking at this picture I got my old days memories refreshed. This is some what very interesting and pleasing for me.

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  7. Thank you for replying Brian,
    I have managed to identify the old synagogues location, it was part way along Shaw street, almost facing Everton Brow, it too suffering blitz damage and was originally used by another religious group, i.e. a Wesleyan Chapel. It is identified as such on a 1920′s map.
    Thank you again for taking time to reply.

    ReplyDelete