Manchester Jewish Representative Council’s Dr Sydney Baigel was praised on Sunday for almost single-handedly raising the council’s budget for more than a decade.

Dr Baigel, 85 — whose brother Frank was re-elected as the council’s president at its AGM — has brought in £25,000 this year.

Revenue comes through sponsorship of the council’s year-book, a central resource of communal organisations and contacts.

He has also led Manchester University’s Hillel House, which is due to close because of falling demand. The council’s Sharon Bannister said Dr Baigel was one of its “longest serving members. Although he doesn’t want any publicity, people should know that without the year-book money, the council wouldn’t be able to survive.”