Renovations reveal time capsule in Manchester's oldest synagogue

The contents of the capsule revealed details about the vibrant Sephardi Jewish community in the city.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Manchester (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Manchester
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Workers renovating Manchester's oldest synagogue unearthed a glass capsule from the 1870s filled with documents and records, the Algemeiner reported.
The capsule was found in perfect condition and was buried with the cornerstone of the original structure, according to early synagogue meeting minutes.
The contents of the capsule revealed some information about the Sephardi Jewish community which existed in the city.
The synagogue has been used as the Manchester Jewish Museum since the 1980s, and museum staff were "thrilled and overwhelmed by [the capsule's] contents and look forward to displaying it in the new museum next spring," according to museum chief executive Max Dunbar.
Workers discovered the capsule while working on a two-year, $8 million renovation of the synagogue turned museum, built by Sephardi Jewish immigrants from Portugal and Spain. 


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