The Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has paid tribute to the contribution the Jewish community has made to the largest city in the north-west of England.

Speaking at a civic reception shortly before Chanukah, Burnham said: “Greater Manchester is proud of its longstanding historical ties to the Jewish community, welcoming Jews for hundreds of years to have the second largest community in the UK.”

He highlighted the important role the Manchester Jewish Museum played, describing it as “a great asset to Greater Manchester in bringing people together and exploring the rich history of the community – and the huge positive impact is has had – in the city-region”.

Giving his reassurances that Greater Manchester would “always be a place where the Jewish community is safe and celebrated”, he said that the civic reception at Central Library was “a reaffirmation of our commitment to the Jewish community”.

Burnham’s comments were welcomed by Mark Adlestone, chair of the Jewish representative council of Greater Manchester and Region, who said that despite the challenges of the past year, “we have received a huge amount of reassurance from elected representatives and those charged with caring or our wellbeing”.

Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham addresses the Jewish community (Photo: Jewish Representative Council and Greater Manchester & Region)

In August, CST said that record levels of antisemitism had been reported in the first half of 2024, accounting for 1,978 antisemitic incidents across the UK. This has included antisemitic graffiti found in the Manchester University’s student union building, which the JC reported in March.

Speaking after the event, Adlestone said: “The Jewish community has always been proud of our deep roots across Greater Manchester. We have contributed to every section of society over many generations.

"We have always felt comfortable to openly celebrate our religion, as demonstrated by my time as High Sheriff. My experience is that we have been met with nothing but warmth, kindness, understanding and acceptance.”

He said that the level of acceptance the Jewish community had experienced in Manchester had “made the last 14 months extremely difficult to comprehend as Jewish people have had to deal with record levels of hate crime permeating every section of society”.

Lucy Powell MP and Mark Adlestone, chair of the Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region (Photo: Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region)

Guests at the event, which was hosted by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region and the Jewish Leadership Council, included Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central and leader of the House of Commons, Police and Crime Commissioner Kate Green, Chief Constable Stephen Watson and Vice Chancellor of Manchester University Duncan Ivison.

Ceremonial leaders from across the city, including the High Sheriff, Lord Mayor of Manchester and six ceremonial mayors, also attended, alongside leaders from other faith communities.

Adlestone said that “the presence of so many leaders from across our great city … will give our vibrant community the confidence to continue thriving”.