A Jewish community is a living thing. It grows, expands, moves and needs to be nurtured like any other living thing. The Jewish community in Liverpool grew from its inception in 1742 to the early 21st century. Greenbank synagogue played a particularly important part in the life of Liverpool Jewry in the 20th century. It was an essential part in supporting the migration to the suburbs. It remained so for over seventy years. It was more than just a synagogue, it was a meeting place, a focus of social events and major part of Jewish education.

History

Greenbank synagogue came into being in 1937 due to the sort of social factors that influence any community. The Jews that came to Liverpool in the nineteenth century settled mainly in the Brownlow Hill area. This was a poorer area of back to back terraced houses that were rented rather than bought. After the end of the first world war in 1918, people became more prosperous. Slowly a migration to areas around Sefton Park took place with the Jewish community becoming more established in the streets around the lower end of Smithdown road and down towards Penny Lane. This prompted the officers of the Hope Place Synagogue, in the 1920s to look for a site for a new synagogue. This coincided with the establishment of Jewish educational classes in the Sefton Park area. Finally in the beginning of 1935 the site in Greenbank Drive which was owned by the Liverpool Corporation was sold to the congregation. The Architects Alfred Shennan and partners were appointed. On the 15th of May 1935 Alderman Shennan addressed a meeting of the congregants, outlining his plan. The building, in an art deco style was later to be listed as a Grade II building. This was unique in Liverpool as it included a communal function hall and its own car park. Originally it was also intended to have classrooms as well but this part of the plan did not materialise.

Whilst at this time most of the community had moved to the Sefton Park area there were many who had settled even further out in the Childwall area. Early in 1937 Greenbank Drive Synagogue was completed. On the 14th June 1936 Baron Tobias Globe laid the foundation stone in the presence of Dr J H Hertz, the chief Rabbi. Fourteen months later on 15th August 1937 the building was formally opened by Henry Cohen (later to become Lord Cohen).

The building cost £25,000 and it was some 63 years since a synagogue had been built in Liverpool. In the evening a banquet was held in the communal hall, presided over by Max Morris, a five course meal was served. This hall was later to become the Max Morris hall. Greenbank was, until its closure, still the largest synagogue in Liverpool seating 540 men and 360 women. Unlike many synagogues, the seats were well spaced and comfortably appointed. At the rear of the ladies gallery there was the facility to extend the seating. This area was used for the Ladies Guild and for classrooms. Greenbank was not only a synagogue, it was a significant part of Jewish life in Liverpool. It played an important part in both education and social activities. Over the years there  was a vibrant youth club held there and Hebrew classes were held three times a week. As well as the classes that were held there, the 22nd Scout troop Wavertree also met in the Synagogue, all the scouts were Jewish. The Max Morris hall was, at the time, quite an innovation in Liverpool as synagogues did not previously have such a hall with both milk and meat catering facilities. Prior to this, functions were often held in locations such as the Rialto ballroom at the corner of Princess Road and Upper Parliament Street (this was destroyed in the Toxteth riots of 1981).

In the synagogue, Mr Globe and his family had the front row seats next to the wardens, there were five sons and five daughters in the Globe family and they were to play a significant role in the life of the synagogue. Seats on the third row near the Ark were all occupied by medical practitioners who at the time were held in great esteem, a similar concession was not made to the lawyers! I don’t know quite what that says about the attitudes at that time.

Services at the time were conducted by Reverend Freeman and Reverend S Wolfson. The Shamas was a Mr S Gillis, this trio was referred to as Freeman, Wolfson and Gillis in a reference to the chain of shoe shops Freeman, Hardy and Willis.

In 1938 the congregation was fully established and these were the halcyon days of the Greenbank Synagogue. They had a new building, an impressive minister, a melodious Chazan and well attended services. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, it was quite usual to see a long stream of chauffeur driven cars taking the wealthier members and taxis (ordered before the fast) for those lower down the pecking order. Dress was always very important and bowler hats and homburgs were the headgear of the senior wardens, the order of the day for lesser mortals was a dark soft felt hat. No self respecting congregant would wear a check hat or a felt cap and no one wearing a yarmulka would be called up to the reading.

Naturally in the late 1930s with the rise of Nazi Germany and the second word war, many Jews left Europe and many of them came to Liverpool. On the 3rd of September 1939 war had been declared and many of the younger members left to join the armed forces. This forced a change in fabric of Greenbank's activities. During the war, because of the air raid sirens, the blowing of the Shofar was suspended. During one air raid some of  windows in the ladies gallery were shattered and the ladies were temporarily moved to sit downstairs to sit on the right hand side. There was no Mechitza at that time.

In 1940 Rev Freeman took ill and Rev Wolfson was left to conduct the services, he also at that time was acting as headmaster of the Hebrew classes.

At this time many social functions and dances were organised by the ladies guild and were attended by many Jewish serviceman stationed locally. In 1941 when America entered the war, many of the large contingent of US servicemen stationed at Burtonwood swelled this number and many GIs attended the services and Sedars for them were held in houses of the congregants. During the blitz of late 1941 the hall became a reception centre for some of the local non-Jewish population that had been bombed out of their homes. At Christmas time a carol service was held in the hall, Most probably the only time that Christmas Carols had been sung in a synagogue.

After the war in Europe ended in May 1945, an official thanksgiving service was held.   Circumstances brought about another shift in the life of Greenbank as many of the returning ex-servicemen found that their homes had been damaged and they chose to settle further out in the suburbs of Childwall and Allerton. Initially the loyalty of the congregation remained but as the years passed, they joined congregations nearer their homes.

Over the next fifty years demographic changes altered synagogue attendance. Classes in the synagogue had been suspended during the war and were now begun again and during the late 1950s there were classes of well over 100 pupils. There was also a flourishing youth society.

In May 1950, Rabbi Nemeth was appointed as senior minister, working alongside Rev Wolfson. This was to be a mainstay partnership during those years. At the end of 1950, Rev Freeman, who had served the congregation for over 40 years, retired. In 1951, Rabbi Nemeth started the Synagogue review which appeared twice a year until 1958, after that it was published annually until it finished in 1974. The youth society was overseen by Mr C S McCulla, a non Jewish man, he became an officer in the JLB and was well loved and remembered by those who worked with him.

In 1960 at the annual meeting, the matter of shnoddering was raised as they wanted to abolish it and raise the membership fees, as can be imagined this raised all manner of debate. Another innovation in 1954 was the exchange of pulpits, on the second day of Pesach, Stanley Wolfe of Princess Road preached in Greenbank and Rabbi Nemeth preached in Princess Road.

In 1946, Max Green was appointed Shamas and remained as part of the synagogue life until his death at the age of 91 in 2003. He was well known in the community.

Sadly in the early hours of  11th May 1959, arsonists set fire to the synagogue. The damage was to most of the body of the synagogue, despite a brave attempt by the firemen, the Sefrei Torim were unable to be saved and the following Sunday was declared a fast day by Rabbi Nemeth. The Sefrei Torim were later buried at Long Lane Cemetery. In may 1961 the synagogue was re-consecrated, this was celebrated by a dinner attended by over 300 people. In 1962, the silver jubilee of the synagogue was celebrated, Lord Cohen of Birkenhead had a place of honour. In May 1965, sadly there was another fire in the body of the Synagogue. At this time there was a waning in attendance and the classes ceased to exist.

In the summer of 1966 Rabbi Norman Solomon was appointed as senior minister, he left in 1974, coinciding with the retirement of Rev Wolfson. At this time the synagogue had reverted to its basic function as a place of worship as social and other cultural activities were taken up elsewhere.

In 1977 Rabbi Baruch Rappaport was appointed. This was not to be a satisfactory relationship and he later left. In 1979 Cantor Henry Chait was appointed Chazan, this appointment brought a vibrancy to the congregation due to his excellent singing and exuberant personality.

In 1987 the synagogue celebrated its golden jubilee. A dinner was held on the 30th September. This time also marked the synagogue’s decline as more people were moving further out and Childwall became the larger congregation. An amalgamation with Princess Road was being discussed but nothing came of it.

In 1998 Rev Chait was forced to retire due to ill health.

in 1999 Rabbi Balkany was appointed as minister and continued until the final Sabbath service was conducted on the 5th of January 2008 when Greenbank Synagogue finally closed its doors.