Belfast Jewish Community

Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, formerly the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (CCNI 100486)

Belfast Jewish Community
Type	Unincorporated charity (Orthodox Jewish congregation); governing document the Constitution and Rules of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation 1999
Founded	Services from 1864; congregation formally organised 1869
Registration ID	100486 (registered 3 March 2015)
Status	Active
Headquarters	Steven Granet, Belfast Jewish Community, 49 Somerton Road, 737B Antrim Road, Belfast, BT15 4DD
Area served	Northern Ireland
Services	Orthodox Jewish religious services; social and educational activities
Registration	Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
Website	belfastjewishcommunity.org.uk
Remarks	Income £61,923; spending £127,189 (year ending 30 November 2025)

Belfast Jewish Community (BJC), formerly the Belfast Hebrew Congregation, is the Orthodox Jewish congregation of Belfast and runs the synagogue at 49 Somerton Road in north Belfast, the only synagogue in Northern Ireland. Its website describes it as "an orthodox congregation under the auspices of the Chief Rabbi". It has been registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) as charity 100486 since 3 March 2015.

According to its trustees' report, "The Belfast Hebrew Congregation was formed in the 1860's as an orthodox Jewish Congregation" and "changed its name to Belfast Jewish Community on 11 May 2004". Its registered objects are:

"1. To Advance the Jewish religion for the benefit of the public in Northern Ireland, in accordance with the doctrines of the Jewish religion by the celebration of devine services and other religious activities. 2. To provide recreational and leisure time activities in the interest of social welfare for the members and others designed to improve their conditions of life."

In the year ending 30 November 2025 it reported income of £61,923 and spending of £127,189, with one employee and 15 volunteers. The community has shrunk from a peak of about 1,500 members to 54 active members in 2025, most of them retired. In November 2025 the Belfast Telegraph reported a warning from the congregation's chairman that it was "at risk of dying out", with an appeal for new members and a new spiritual leader.

History

Foundation and early synagogues

JCR-UK records a kosher butcher in Belfast in about 1771, but dates the present community from about 1864, when services were held in private homes. The congregation was formally organised in 1869, credit for which goes to the linen merchant Daniel Joseph Jaffé (1809–1874), who also largely paid for its first purpose-built synagogue. The BBC reports that the community "was established by German linen merchants, principally the Jaffe family and Eastern European families who were fleeing to escape persecution from the Russian Tsars".

The congregation has used three synagogues:

• Great Victoria Street (foundation stone 7 July 1871, opened 1872, in use until 1904), designed by Nathan Solomon Joseph with Francis Stirrat and funded by Daniel Joseph Jaffé. Before then the congregation met in a room at Inkermann Terrace, in use from at least 1869.
• Annesley Street, Carlisle Circus (foundation stone 26 February 1904, in use from 31 August 1904 until 1964). The building, later a physiotherapy gym of the Mater Hospital, is listed (HB26/43/025).
• Somerton Road (foundation stone 3 May 1964, consecrated 25 October 1964; see below).

Jaffé's son, Sir Otto Jaffé (1846–1929), was Life President of the congregation and the only Jew elected Lord Mayor of Belfast. The BBC notes that he "helped to pay for Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital", and that after the outbreak of the First World War he "became the target of suspicion and intimidation, and his family moved to London for good". Short-lived rival congregations existed in the 1890s (the Belfast New Synagogue, Jackson Street) and around 1900–1902 (the United Hebrew Congregation, Regent Street), which merged back into the main congregation in about 1902.

Herzog family

Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog was minister of the congregation from 1916 to 1919. His son Chaim Herzog was born at 185 Cliftonpark Avenue, Belfast, on 17 September 1918. The Dictionary of Ulster Biography records that the father "was appointed Chief Rabbi of Ireland in 1919, whereupon the family moved to Dublin; he was later (1935) to be appointed Chief Rabbi of Palestine (Ashkenazim community), and after 1948 Chief Rabbi of Israel". Chaim Herzog was sixth President of Israel (1983–1993). His mother, Sarah Herzog, began her married life in Belfast and was founding president of the religious Zionist women's organisation Emunah. The JTA notes that Rabbi Herzog was "the grandfather of the current Israeli president of the same name", Isaac Herzog.

The Ulster History Circle unveiled a blue plaque at Chaim Herzog's birthplace on 30 October 1998. It was removed in 2014 "after it was vandalised with anti-Israeli graffiti".

In October 2018 Northern Ireland Friends of Israel (NIFI) hosted Isaac Herzog in Belfast for the centenary of his father's birth. According to NIFI's partisan account, the visit included "a wonderful lunch at Belfast synagogue", where the Herzog family was given a portrait of the late President "which will be displayed by the community". NIFI thanked a list of supporters that began with the "Belfast Jewish community" and included the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the World Zionist Organisation, the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland and the Jewish Agency. Israel's ambassador, Mark Regev, spoke at the evening gala at Stormont.

Somerton Road synagogue

The Somerton Road synagogue was designed by Eugene Rosenberg of Yorke Rosenberg Mardall (YRM). The Department for Communities' listing describes "a circular prayer hall capped by a folded roof in the form of the 'Magen David' – Star of David, a groundbreaking design which went on to influence Synagogue design throughout the UK". It records that the building "was consecrated on 25 October 1964 by Chief Rabbi Dr Israel Brodie, in the presence of Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill". It was listed (HB26/46/030) on 21 August 2015. The listing adds that after 1987 the southern half of the plot, including the Hebrew school building, was sold off, and the synagogue was altered to make room for large function and meeting rooms.

The artist Nehemia Azaz designed the bronze and silver Ark doors, the candelabrum and the Eternal Light (1965).

Decline and recent years

JCR-UK gives the congregation's seat-holders as 64 in 1900 (Board of Deputies returns), rising to 380 by 1950 (Jewish Year Book), and household membership as 128 in 2001 and "under 50" in 2016. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported in 2025 that the exodus "accelerated with the onset of the Troubles", that the synagogue had been partly converted into a functions room, and that it had 54 active members.

The synagogue has been attacked several times. In July 2014 its windows were smashed twice in one weekend, and police treated this as a religious hate crime. In May 2025 an object was thrown through a window. Deputy chairman Michael Black told the JTA that two girls had been cautioned by police, and said: "In my lifetime, I don't remember so much open antisemitism."

The 2023 President's report by Gerald Steinberg lists the year's events. They include:

• October 2023: "The dreadful attack on Israel that changed the world on October 7th."
• November 2023: "Lord Mann, the government advisor on Anti-Semitism was a guest speaker at a NIFI event." (John Mann; Northern Ireland Friends of Israel)
• December 2023: a visit to the synagogue by PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
• March 2024: "Under a UJS fellowship leadership project, we had a visit from forty students to a Shabbat service." (Union of Jewish Students)
• May 2024: a Belfast Jewish Heritage Walk organised by Steven Jaffe, and the installation of the Chief Rabbi of Ireland at Terenure, Dublin, attended by Rabbi David Kale.

The report also notes the community's "declining number of members", its "difficulty in having a Minyan at all services" and "serious problems with the main roof of the Shul".

Ministers and rabbis

The following list is from JCR-UK, compiled with Belfast historian Steven Jaffe and drawing on Jewish Year Book listings.

Ministers and rabbis of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation / Belfast Jewish Community

Name	Years
Rev. Dr Joseph Chotzner	1869–1880; 1893–1897
Rev. Edwin Collins	c.1882–c.1887
Rev. Bernard H. Rosengard	c.1888–c.1891
Rev. Joseph Emanuel Myers	1898–1904
Rev. (later Rabbi) Jacob Rosenzweig	1905–1914
Rabbi Zusman Hodes	c.1906–1916
Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog	1916–1919
Rabbi Jacob Shachter	1926–1954
Rabbi Dr Alexander Carlebach	1954–1965
Rabbi Vivian Berman	1967–1970
Rabbi Michael Goldman	c.1973–1974
Rabbi Michael Duschinsky	1977–1979
Rabbi Natan Granevitz	1983–1988
Rev. Moshe Perez	1988–1990
Moshe Ben-Chorin (shaliach from the World Union of Jewish Students)	1992–1993
Rev. Lee Sunderland	1993–1995
Rev. Aron Engelmeyer	1997–2002
Rabbi Avraham Citron	2002–2007
Rabbi Menachem Brackman	2008–2012
Rabbi David Singer	2013–2018
Rabbi David Kale MBE	2018–June 2025

JCR-UK notes that Moshe Ben-Chorin "performed ministerial duties as a shaliach on behalf of the World Union of Jewish Students programme and returned to Israel in 1993". The World Union of Jewish Students is affiliated to the World Zionist Organization. Rabbi David Singer was among the speakers at the Balfour Declaration centenary at Stormont in November 2017, which Northern Ireland Friends of Israel and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem organised jointly. In 2025 the JTA reported that Rabbi David Kale was leaving after six years, and that a replacement had not yet been found.

Lay leadership

JCR-UK lists the congregation's presidents, compiled from Jewish Year Books and, after the mid-1950s, from information supplied by Steven Jaffe with the council's approval.

Presidents of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation / Belfast Jewish Community

Years	President
1896*–1924	Sir Otto Jaffé JP
1924–1928	John Ross (formerly Rev. Jacob Rosenzweig)
1928–1929	S. Freeman JP
1930–1932	H. Fox
1932–1936	H.M. Miller
1936–1938	John Ross
1938–1967	Barney H. Hurwitz OBE JP
1967–c.1972	Alfred Cohen
1973–1993	Captain Harold E. Smith CBE
1993–2008	Ronnie Appleton QC
2008–2018	Ronnie Appleton QC jointly with Dr Dennis Coppel
2018–2022	Dr Dennis Coppel
2022–present	Gerald Steinberg

Leonard Steinberg (1936–2009), later Lord Steinberg of Belfast, was chair of the congregation's council from 1972 to 1974. Ronald Appleton KC (1927–2025), president from 1993 to 2018 (jointly from 2008), was Senior Crown Counsel for Northern Ireland from 1977 to 1999. His death in April 2025 is recorded in the 2024 report.

Registration and finances

The Belfast Jewish Community is registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Its register entry gives the following details:

• Charity number: 100486
• Registered: 3 March 2015
• Other name: Belfast Hebrew Congregation
• Public address: Steven Granet, Belfast Jewish Community, 49 Somerton Road, 737B Antrim Road, Belfast, BT15 4DD
• What the charity does: "The advancement of religion", "Other charitable purposes"
• Who the charity helps: "General public". How the charity works: "Religious activities"
• Trustees: 7. Employees: 1. Volunteers: 15
• Company number: none (CCNI records "0"); no Companies House entry was found under either name
• Latest return: year ending 30 November 2025, "Received: on time"

The charity describes itself on the register: "The Congregation is called the Belfast Jewish Community. It provides religious services in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish Tradition and practices and provides social amenities for its members." Its public benefit statement says that "Religious services are held every Thursday and Saturday", that bridge is organised weekly and that its "Wednesday Club" meets fortnightly, and that "educational tours of the Synagogue and seminars are conducted for the benefit of the wider community".

Under the constitution, management of the congregation "shall be deputed to a Council of Management comprising an executive and committee", and its members are "members, seat holders and associate members of both sexes who are of the Jewish Faith".

Income, expenditure and funds (£)

Year ending	Total income	Total expenditure	Unrealised gain/(loss) on investments	Total funds at year end
30 November 2022	51,149	85,758	(48,425)	691,721
30 November 2023	65,528	109,348	18,654	666,322
30 November 2024	58,685	102,005	37,178	660,180
30 November 2025	61,923	127,189	25,908	620,822

In 2025 income comprised membership subscriptions £16,052, donations £13,660 (including a restricted £10,000), Gift Aid £4,352, dividends £19,948, community centre income £7,125 and other income £786. Spending included the minister's salary (£21,346), a "Retirement payment" (£31,680), kitchen expenses (£17,494), light and heat (£11,565), maintenance and repairs (£16,251) and cemetery costs (£5,729). "No trustees received any remuneration or reimbursement of travel expenses during either year."

At 30 November 2025 the charity held tangible fixed assets of £187,905 and investments of £493,893. The investments were in the M G Charifund "A Gift forever fund" (£168,476), the NI Central Investment fund for charities (£317,245) and British Petroleum shares (£8,172). The restricted funds (£42,095) "relate to amounts from the Albert and Rebecca Goldring Trust and a bequest from a member", for purposes including "to benefit person of small means who are not able to obtain sufficient keep from government or other sources".

Chevra Kadisha

The Belfast Chevra Kadisha Society (burial society) is a related party "through sharing common committee members". At 30 November 2025 the Belfast Jewish Community owed it £67,941 (2024: £63,319). In 2023 it had transferred £63,079 to the community, which that year cleared a 2022 bank overdraft of £66,153. The Chevra Kadisha Section's own accounts, appended to the 2024 report, show investments of £105,448 and reserves of £168,772.

'A Gift Forever' Investment Fund

The 2023 report prints a donor list for the "'A Gift Forever' Investment Fund", "Established by L Kaitcer, A Selig and L Steinberg", running from 1972/73 to 2023. Early gifts include £5,000 from the "Sir Isaac Wolfson and Lady Wolfson Charitable Trust" (Sir Isaac Wolfson) and £3,500 from Solomon and Peres Ltd. Later entries include a £78,534 bequest (proceeds of the sale of a house left by the late Mr M Logan, 1985/86) and a £5,000 bequest from "the late Lord Leonard Steinberg" (2010).

Advisers

• Independent examiner (2023–2025): Richard C Shields MA FCA, Adrian Hall & Co, 1st Floor, 100 Main Street, Bangor, Co Down, BT20 4AG
• Accountants (2023 and 2024 statements): BDO Northern Ireland (Nigel Harra), Metro Building, 1st Floor, 6-9 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA
• Hon. Solicitor: Mr J Hool

People

Trustees on the register

In October 2026 the CCNI register listed seven trustees:

Trustee board, CCNI register (October 2026)

Name	Office (2024 accounts)
Michael Black	Deputy Chairman; trustee
Gerald Steinberg	President; trustee
Neville Finch	Chairman; trustee
Dr Katy Radford	Committee member of Council; External Projects
Mrs Jane Margaret Danker	Hon. Secretary
Mr Anthony Black (A G Black)	Committee member of Council
Mr Steven Granet	Hon. Treasurer

Office bearers

Office bearers as printed in the 2023 and 2024 reports:

• President: Mr G Steinberg (Gerald Steinberg)
• Emeritus President: Mr R Appleton (Ronald Appleton; died April 2025)
• Chairman: Mr N Finch (Neville Finch). Deputy Chairman: Mr M Black (Michael Black)
• Senior Warden: vacant. Junior Warden: Mr Eli Halali (2023), vacant (2024)
• Hon. Treasurer: Mr S Granet (Steven Granet). Hon. Secretary: Mrs J Danker (Jane Danker)
• Committee members of Council: Mr A G Black, Dr K Radford (and, in 2023, Mr J Warner and Mrs S Warner, both resigned)
• Trustees: Mr R Appleton, Mr N Finch, Mr M Black, Mr G Steinberg
• Representative to the Board of Deputies: vacant

JCR-UK records Steven Granet as treasurer (1984–86 and from 2008), Michael Black as chair of council (2008–2022) and treasurer (1986–87, 1991–2008), Neville Finch as chair of council, Gerald Steinberg as deputy chair (2008–2022), and Jane Danker as Hon. Secretary since 2015.

Other Jewish charities on the Northern Ireland register

A search of the CCNI register found three other charities with Jewish objects. None has any recorded financial or governance link to the Belfast Jewish Community.

• Unitorah Trust (CCNI 103198; registered 19 June 2015, removed 10 November 2022). Its first object was to "Promote the welfare and viability of Belfast and other Jewish communities for the public benefit", alongside objects on conflict resolution and Jewish studies. Its public address on the register was 27 Station Lane, Ballygowan, Newtownards, BT23 5XJ. A company called Unitorah Trust (NI627737, incorporated 11 November 2014, dissolved 4 October 2022) had its registered office at 35 Piney Lane, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT9 5QS, and its directors were Dr Joseph Francis Boyle, Dr Bernard Jaffa and Ralph David Morris. A sister company, Unitorah Community Interest Company (NI627274, incorporated 16 October 2014, dissolved 11 May 2021), had the same three directors plus Alan Lawrence Marcus Matthews and Nadine Savage.
• Atlas Memorial Limited (CCNI 101043) and SYLO Fund Limited (CCNI 102313) are registered in Northern Ireland but have London public addresses (86 Filey Avenue, London, N16 6JJ and 58 Portland Avenue, Stamford Hill, London, N15 6EA). Both have identical objects for "the advancement and furtherance of the Jewish Religion and Jewish religious education and the alleviation of poverty among the Jewish Community throughout the World".

Notable people

JCR-UK lists notable Jewish connections with Belfast, including:

• Chaim Herzog (1918–1997), sixth President of Israel, born in Belfast.
• Abba Eban (1915–2002), Israel's foreign minister, "a child evacuee in Belfast during World War I".
• Tony Danker (born 1971), born in Belfast, "appointed director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in 2020".
• Leonard Steinberg (1936–2009), Lord Steinberg of Belfast, deputy treasurer of the Conservative Party.
• Gustav Wilhelm Wolff (1834–1911), co-founder of Harland and Wolff and MP for East Belfast, "born into a German Jewish family but baptised as a child".

See also

• Northern Ireland Friends of Israel
• Chaim Herzog
• Atlas Memorial Limited
• Glasgow Jewish Community Trust
• Union of Jewish Students of the UK and Ireland

External links

• Belfast Jewish Community (official website)
• Belfast Jewish Community: Our History (links to the Queen's University Belfast archive)
• Belfast Jewish Record, Queen's University Belfast Digital Special Collections
• Belfast Hebrew Congregation Collection (MS 61), Queen's University Belfast Special Collections