Manchester Jewish Museum

The Manchester Jewish Museum displays about 31,000 artefacts from the city’s Jewish population, with a focus on universal Jewish journey, community, and identity experiences. The synagogue has been deemed “one of the most outstanding Gothic Revival structures in the country” by Historic England, and the collection is nationally and globally noteworthy. They were named one of the ten best small museums in the country by ‘The Times,’ and were the first UK museum to get NPO status in 2018, with Arts Council England. A brand-new gallery, café, store, and collection storage have been built beside the synagogue, allowing the museum to expand by a factor of two. The museum has also built a new learning studio and learning kitchen, allowing community organisations and school groups to bake, prepare, consume, and pass along traditional dishes. Cafe volunteers develop a modern vegetarian kosher-style menu for the museum’s new café using locally grown veggies and real Jewish products. The cuisine is intended to be a type of culinary alchemy, combining traditional Jewish flavours with modern innovation.