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Glasgow shul's future at crossroads over support

December 16, 2013 15:12

ByAnonymous, Anonymous

1 min read

Two deals, each worth several hundred thousand pounds, are being considered by Newton Mearns Synagogue in Glasgow ahead of its AGM on Sunday.

An offer from the London-based United Synagogue would see the organisation take over Newton Mearns’s assets in exchange for support. An alternative deal from the Glasgow Jewish Community Trust is worth £250,000.

Malcolm Livingstone, chair of the trust, said: “We want to find a Glasgow solution to this and, as the largest community funder, we want to show support. Our offer isn’t as much as the United Synagogue’s but would allow the shul to keep its assets.”

Newton Mearns and Giffnock and Newlands Synagogue, located 2.5 miles apart, have both seen numbers dwindle in recent years as the community shrinks. The shuls had been in merger discussions until a few months ago after talks began in early 2011.