Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation’s leaders called a special general meeting to discuss the sale of its 110-year-old town centre synagogue and relocation to new premises.
More than 100 members expressed their views about Wootton Gardens having become unsuitable as it requires modernisation, is in the “wrong” neighbourhood and in need of repairs.
An offer of £1.4 million has been made by a local developer to build a block of 40 flats on the site while allowing the congregation a year to find new premises. The offer, together with a recent bequest, would allow for the purchase of a freehold site and creation of a purpose-built building. This would incorporate a mikveh, shul with seating for 250 people, functions and meeting rooms, classrooms and a shop.
The prime location for a new building would be on the popular East Cliff where many of the 300 members live and also where Jewish families come during the summer months and yom tovim. The majority of members voted in favour of accepting the offer and relocation but BHC president Ivor Weintroub pointed out drawbacks when investigating new sites, particularly hotels, and explained why almost all “proved to be a dead end”. A stumbling block, he said, is that Bournemouth is a resort town where the council wants to preserve the number of bedrooms for tourists.
Mr Weintroub told the gathering: “We cannot afford to sell Wootton Gardens and move to temporary accommodation because we have to have our own shul, not just for ourselves but to educate the non-Jewish community about who we are. We have been looking at possible sites for six years so if we do agree to sell, it could be years before we find permanent alternative premises and we would be without a shul.”
Members were invited to put forward their suggestions in writing to be considered as a priority by the board.
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