In January 1963, Jack Barsh, Mark Bernstein, Ellis Bor, Gordon Davies, Sydney Friedland, Clifford Glancy, Barry Halpern, Phil Kanas, John Koffler, Yitz Jaffe, Alan Reins, Abe Rhodes and Harold Solomons bought a house called Chaseley, on Gatley Road, for £8,200, and Yeshurun Community began. Three years later, In 1966, as so many of its members had moved to Cheadle and Gatley, the old Stockport community merged with the new Yeshurun.
In 1966 Yeshurun opened the first Synagogue Nursery. The entrance was re-sited to its present position on Coniston Road. Then, in 1968, with the growing Membership, the community built the main shul complex, containing the Main Synagogue, the Hall and the classrooms.
Abe Rhodes, one of our founders, recalled:
“We were keen to create an orthodox environment in which a modern generation of worldly young men and women could feel comfortable and above all feel included. In other words, without knowing the term, we were defining ourselves as modern orthodox. We were very democratic. Everybody was to pay the same subscription which included Cheder and burial fees and no seats in the Synagogue were to be allocated. We were the first community in Britain where women were not only allowed to serve on the Shul council, but actually encouraged to do so.”
The Synagogue continues to thrive today with over 300 families as members.
Since 1963 when our congregation first began, there have been only six ministers who have served our growing community – Rabbi E.S. Rabinovitz, Rabbi B. Rabinovitz, Dr Alan Unterman, Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz, Rabbi Chanan Atlas and our present Rabbinic couple Rabbi Greg and Rebbetzen Hannah Bank.
