When
Where
Manchester Jewish Museum's historic synagogue
Fee
£8 Full
£7 MJM Members
£5 Under 30s
Join us for a fascinating talk about the Jewish youth culture in interwar Manchester with Tereza Ward, curator of the Christian Brethren Archive at the John Rylands Library.
Histories of Anglo-Jewry often focus on its law-abiding, conforming majority. But what about those who don’t fit this narrative – political radicals, social outcasts, and even gang members? Based on Tereza’s PhD research, this talk draws on the museum’s own oral history collection to restore voices otherwise absent from communal records.
Manchester’s interwar Jewish community was a patchwork of communities, shaped by different values, experiences and attachments. Jewish children found themselves caught between the immigrant struggles of their parents and their own growing connection to their environment. As a case study, this talk explores Jewish gangs not as criminal organizations, but as a coming of age story – a generation navigating their dual identities as Jews and Mancunians, forging a sense of belonging.
Tereza’s presentation will be followed by a Q&A open to the audience and hosted by Sherry Ashworth.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tereza Ward is the curator of the Christian Brethren Archive at the John Rylands Library. She was a long-term volunteer at the museum and completed my PhD using the MJM oral history archive. She co-ordinated the Extraordinary Voices oral history project, including recording some of the interviews on the gallery.
Sherry Ashworth is an alumna of the University of Manchester, where she was awarded an MA in Jewish Studies and subsequently a doctorate in 2023 for her research on the Book of Esther and the nineteenth century novel. She writes fiction and continues to research biblical narrative. She lives in Manchester and is a volunteer guide at the Museum.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Doors will be open from 5:30pm for the event to begin at 6pm. Our museum Cafe will be open for drinks but won’t be serving food.
Please note that we don’t have a cloakroom and are unable to store bags. We would advise not bringing large bags with you when you visit.
Click here for information about access. If you have any additional access needs, e-mail tickets@manchesterjewishmuseum.com in advance so we can accommodate best we can.
Click here for information on travelling to the museum.
