Sunderland's former Jewish population: what happened?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Scimmy

Scimmy

Striker
Contributor
When I was a lad 40 odd years ago a number of my schoolmates were Jewish. Their fathers had shops in the town centre: Maurice Velody the furrier, Michaelsons radio, TV and HI-Fi shop, Freemans motorbike shop, and others I can no longer remember. On top of those there were many other Jewish businesses such as Joseph's Toyshop, Bergs Records, Saxons Camera shop, to mention just a few. I am not aware of any that are left. Sunderland also seems to have no Jewish professional firms like lawyers and accountants, though they abound in Newcastle (think Mincoff, Science and Gold etc). My first doctor was a Jewish chap called Dr Gusack.

All Sunderland's commercial Jewish families have gone, as far as I can tell. The synagogue closed many years ago and is now for sale. There used to be a Jewish School called The Menorah School on Thornholme Road, now long gone.

I was wondering what it was that prompted this exodus of Jewish folk from Sunderland. Was it the economic decline of the city? The closure of the shipyards, Cornings, the local collieries? The Jewish business sense is well-known: did those families desert a declining Sunderland to follow the money elsewhere? Or was there some other force at work, socio-political or religious?

I know there are a good few folk of my age and older on here. Has anyone an answer to my questions?
 


the kids all fucked off chasing the coin.

edit - that might sound bad. they went to uni and there weren't many decent jobs up here to keep them here.
 
Scimmy said:
When I was a lad 40 odd years ago a number of my schoolmates were Jewish. Their fathers had shops in the town centre: Maurice Velody the furrier, Michaelsons radio, TV and HI-Fi shop, Freemans motorbike shop, and others I can no longer remember. On top of those there were many other Jewish businesses such as Joseph's Toyshop, Bergs Records, Saxons Camera shop, to mention just a few. I am not aware of any that are left. Sunderland also seems to have no Jewish professional firms like lawyers and accountants, though they abound in Newcastle (think Mincoff, Science and Gold etc). My first doctor was a Jewish chap called Dr Gusack.

All Sunderland's commercial Jewish families have gone, as far as I can tell. The synagogue closed many years ago and is now for sale. There used to be a Jewish School called The Menorah School on Thornholme Road, now long gone.

I was wondering what it was that prompted this exodus of Jewish folk from Sunderland. Was it the economic decline of the city? The closure of the shipyards, Cornings, the local collieries? The Jewish business sense is well-known: did those families desert a declining Sunderland to follow the money elsewhere? Or was there some other force at work, socio-political or religious?

I know there are a good few folk of my age and older on here. Has anyone an answer to my questions?
Click to expand...


Sure I read an article along these lines in the Echo a year or so ago...my GP as a kid was from a prominent local Jewish Sunderland family as well
 
Charles Slater as well, former Mayor and influential local politician. I think some families went to Israel, some to Gateshead and many simply dispersed out of Sunderland. As the OP says, we lost a few businesses as a result, Joseph’s was a cracker.
 
Cee Jay said:
Sure I read an article along these lines in the Echo a year or so ago...my GP as a kid was from a prominent local Jewish Sunderland family as well
Click to expand...

I remember Dr Gusack was on Ryhope Road/Villette Road corner on the end of Rowlandson Terrace. I think he had a partner, or was succeeded by a GP called Dr Bindman.
 
I remember reading an echo article years ago that a lot of them moved to Southampton. Seems a bit random but I definitely read it.
The last time I saw a Jewish family in Sunderland was at silksworth play area last year, where I'd taken the grandson. They stuck out from everybody else obviously because of the way they dressed The Jews I've met have always been decent and harmless people. It's a shame Israel creates so much anti semitism and dislike
 
zinedine said:
I remember reading an echo article years ago that a lot of them moved to Southampton. Seems a bit random but I definitely read it.
The last time I saw a Jewish family in Sunderland was at silksworth play area last year, where I'd taken the grandson. They stuck out from everybody else obviously because of the way they dressed The Jews I've met have always been decent and harmless people. It's a shame Israel creates so much anti semitism and dislike
Click to expand...
Last time I saw a Jewish family was at Park Lane metro station, they were going towards Gateshead on the metro, this was about 18 months ago.
 
Several went to Israel, others left to bigger British cities for better work. I was doing a small bit of research on this recently and it seems that they reached their peak in the 1930s before spreading out.
 
Did they move to Gateshead? Thriving Jewish community there. I used to have problems with the older males as they used to come to the library wanting to hire rooms - and would get your truly. However they disliked dealing with women and always asked to speak to a male - which made for a few awkward meetings.
 
Son of Stan said:
Did they move to Gateshead? Thriving Jewish community there. I used to have problems with the older males as they used to come to the library wanting to hire rooms - and would get your truly. However they disliked dealing with women and always asked to speak to a male - which made for a few awkward meetings.
Click to expand...
I believe the Heed Jews are Ultra Orthodox, but the Newcastle ones more chilled out, so the side of the water they may have moved to may have been influenced by that back in the day. About 500 Jewish families around Coatsworth Road these days, which apparently is quite a small community compared to other cities
 
Son of Stan said:
Did they move to Gateshead? Thriving Jewish community there.
Click to expand...

Tesco Gateshead don't always follow the national promo space planner and celebrate events in the Jewish calendar. There's a few times I've been in looking for a display for work and it's not there because they're using the space for Passover or something. It's great that they're made to feel included like that.
 
Scimmy said:
I remember Dr Gusack was on Ryhope Road/Villette Road corner on the end of Rowlandson Terrace. I think he had a partner, or was succeeded by a GP called Dr Bindman.
Click to expand...
Correct, that's a blast from the past.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top