Manchester Jewish Museum receives Heritage Lottery Fund support

Manchester Jewish Museum has been successful in its first round application for support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a major museum development project, it was announced yesterday.

The project includes building a new museum extension that will provide space for new galleries, events and learning. The historic Synagogue building in which the museum is housed is the oldest surviving Synagogue in Manchester and Buttress’ design proposals respond to and respect the significance of the grade II* listed building, whichwill be fully restored to create an enhanced visitor experience, exploring themes such as immigration, integration and identity.

The new extension will be a wrap-around piece of architecture, focussing on the importance of improving circulation as it links the new education and exhibition space. This will provide a route that enables the visitor to learn about different aspects of Jewish life that need to be understood before entering the Synagogue itself to fully appreciate the interior of the building.

Commenting on the award, Museum Chief Executive Max Dunbar, said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. Over the past 30 years we’ve welcomed thousands of visitors, educating them about Jewish faith, heritageand culture. With today’s announcement, we can now build on this to create a new 21st-century Jewish Museum, showcasing more of our collections, educating more people and working with more communities to ensure Manchester’s Jewish heritage is preserved for generations to come.”