Work on a revamp of the Manchester Jewish Museum and construction of an extension to the premises is set to begin, and the Museum will move temporarily into the basement of the Manchester Central Library.
The Museum received a £2.89 million National Lottery grant towards the ambitious £5m development project that, as the museum put it “will see our museum double in size, with new galleries, learning spaces, shop and café built in an extension alongside our existing historic building.”
At the same time the Grade II listed synagogue on Cheethem Road in which the Museum is currently housed will be repaired and restored.
The Museum will close on July 1 and reopen with its new exhibit and the new building in 2021.
During the period of closure, the museum will operate an interactive “pop-up museum” in the lower floor of the Central Library.
The web site About Manchester reports that Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will open the pop-up Jewish Museum on July 15:
Museum objects, historic photographs and recordings will go on display at Central Library to tell and share the story of Jewish Manchester. An ‘object selection machine’ designed by artist, Kirsty Harris, will enable visitors to interact with and explore the museum’s collection. Objects inside the machine will include a World War One policemen’s truncheon, a 19th Century muff maker and a 1940s kosher ration book. Storytelling performances will bring these objects to life.
Alongside the ‘object selection machine’ will be a ‘synagogue in a box’. Designed for schools visiting the Library, children will use art & craft materials to transform the library space into their own bespoke synagogues and, in the process, learn about the Jewish faith and worship.
Read the full article on About Manchester
See our 2017 JHE article about the grant
Manchester Jewish Museum web site