{"id":31131,"date":"2021-09-10T17:10:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T16:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=31131"},"modified":"2023-11-14T15:37:19","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T15:37:19","slug":"ihbc-features-heritage-from-the-doorstep-fears-over-the-future-of-historic-brighton-shul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=31131","title":{"rendered":"IHBC features \u2018Heritage from the doorstep\u2019: Fears over the future of historic Brighton shul"},"content":{"rendered":"

The JC<\/em> reports on ‘Grave concerns’ over repair issues at Brighton\u2019s Middle Street Synagogue, ‘one of the most beautiful and significant in the UK’.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 the delaying of the necessary work could have serious consequences\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

The JC<\/em> writes:<\/p>\n

The acting curator of Brighton\u2019s historic Middle Street Synagogue has voiced \u201cgrave concerns\u201d about the condition of the building following damage caused by a leak from a radiator.<\/p>\n

In addition, loose debris falling from the top of the Grade II*-listed shul prompted Brighton and Hove Council\u2019s building control surveyor to write to Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation (BHHC), which administers Middle Street, highlighting issues which required urgent attention.<\/p>\n

Middle Street has not operated as an active synagogue for around 17 years but has continued to host visiting groups and special activities. Its current closure has prevented involvement in events such as the Brighton Fringe Festival.<\/p>\n

Vicky Bhogal, Middle Street\u2019s voluntary events co-ordinator, fundraiser and acting curator, claims the delaying of the necessary work could have serious consequences.<\/p>\n

Pre-pandemic, Mrs Bhogal, a property developer, initiated a successful series of fundraisers in the city centre shul, among them a\u00a0Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> singalong and an evening focusing on Jews from Arab lands. \u201cMiddle Street shul is such an important part of our Jewish heritage, both in Brighton and globally,\u201d she said. \u201cAs one of the most beautiful and significant shuls in the UK, it must be completely restored and reopened to the public….<\/p>\n

Her concerns about the building\u2019s future were echoed by Winston Pickett of the Sussex branch of the Jewish Historical Society of England….<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove heritage commissioner Roger Amerena, joint chair of the city council\u2019s Conservation Advisory Group, has expressed concern about the state of the building and the lack of action to secure its future.<\/p>\n

Mr Amerena organised a meeting three years ago, attended by local and national Jewish representatives, recommending at the time that a separate trust should be established to attract funds for the synagogue\u2019s restoration from bodies such as the World Heritage Fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrighton and Hove Heritage Commission regrets that there has been no decision or action made regarding the sustainable future of the synagogue,\u201d he said. \u201cThe synagogue is running into further disrepair as a result of the water ingress, the crumbling of the front corners and general erosion on the western facade facing the street. This building is a national asset, one of the most spectacular synagogues in Europe. It has to be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more….<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The JC reports on ‘Grave concerns’ over repair issues at Brighton\u2019s Middle Street Synagogue, ‘one of the most beautiful and significant in the UK’.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ihbc-newsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31131"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38151,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31131\/revisions\/38151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}