Looking back on 2021

Manchester Jewish Museum at night, photo by Joel Chester Fildes
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2021 such a brilliant year for Manchester Jewish Museum
As 2021 draws to a close we just wanted to reflect on what an enormous year it’s been for the museum (despite the challenges!) and look back at some of our highlights.
From starting the year online with our Creative Activists and Leo Burtin’s virtual Eat the Archives to our grand reopening in July 2021! We’ve welcomed over 8,300 people through the doors of our museum over 1,100 school children into our new Learning Kitchen and Studio to learn about Jewish traditions and culture.
We’ve had all kinds of events ranging from audio-walking tours around Cheetham Hill to baking workshops in our kitchen, art installations with Turner Prize-winners as part of Manchester International Festival to gigs and performances in our synagogue as part of Tsitsit Jewish Fringe Festival. We celebrated our biggest Cheetham Cultural Festival yet, opened our gorgeous new café and launched our brand-new Memberships scheme.
And finally we bid a fond farewell to our beloved Chief Executive Max Dunbar after 10 years leading our museum.
“Just a note to say how excellent the museum, staff and volunteers were. The new gallery space and synagogue renovation traces the history of the Jewish communities in Manchester beautifully and every volunteer I spoke to had an enormous sense of pride and ownership about the museum which made the exhibitions even more fascinating.” Visitor feedback
We’re excited for what next year will bring and just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who made it possible – our staff, trustees, volunteers, partners and most of all our audiences and supporters. You made this happen.
We’re taking a short break over the holidays but we will be back on 4 January 2022. We would like to wish all of you the very best for 2022 and we hope to see you all in the new year!
- Manchester Jewish Museum, image James Houston
- Our Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, image: Joel Chester Fildes
- Families in the museum, image Chris Payne
- She Seeks Out Wool performancr, image Chris Payne