Manchester launches major review
A MAJOR study of Jewish community provision in Manchester has been commissioned by the revamped local representative council, whose new management board will be formally appointed at its AGM in May.
Themes of the review include services for all age groups, employment, housing and emergency response. It is also examining how the various communal organisations interact, the delivery of activities and quality standards.
Another target is to identify where there are gaps in services and how resources can be best targeted.
Chief executive Marc Levy said the study would be completed by summer and was one of a number of “huge pieces of strategic research which will be used to ensure that the community operates in a cohesive and sensible fashion”. A separate review will focus on school places.
With the strictly Orthodox accounting for a third, and some estimate more, of the Greater Manchester Jewish population, Mr Levy was delighted that the new management team will include an “alliance of Charedi representatives [Motti Bamberger, Chaya Einhorn and Isaac Ginsbury] — the first time we have had widespread Charedi representation”.
He described the trio as “selflessly committed to their community”, adding that their involvement would build on improved ties during the pandemic, which had brought all sections of the community closer together.
“It enabled me to develop relations with people I didn’t previously know.”
Management team members will appoint advisory groups within their portfolios with the goal of making the rep council central to every aspect of communal life.
Mr Levy — who has been seconded from his regional role with the Jewish
Leadership Council — said the profile of the century-old organisation had been raised, both through events and dialogue with political leaders.
In recent months, it been active in responding to issues ranging from rising hate crime to the situation in Ukraine.
Rep council chair Mark Adlestone said his expectation was “for the JRC to be the first point of contact on issues of importance to all internal and external stakeholders.
“We have already established strong links across the community and wider society. Through the leaders of the advisory groups, we will be working tirelessly to forward our community’s agenda.”
The rep council will also continue to co-ordinate the Jewish Strategic Group, established as a response to the pandemic, which has evolved into an ongoing forum between the community and elected representatives.
Mr Levy pointed out that with the upsurge in remote and hybrid working over the past two years, Manchester, with its cheaper property prices, had become an attractive alternative to the North London heartlands for those wanting a Jewish lifestyle. And there was anecdotal evidence of an influx of new recruits.
“We’re passionate about showcasing Manchester as a vibrant, outward looking community,” he stressed.
Including the UK’s largest eruv perimeter of 13-plus miles, “we’ve got everything for people to feel comfortable being Jewish here, whatever their level of observance”.
For the first time we have widespread Charedi representation
We’ve got everything for people to feel comfortable being Jewish