The two Glasgow Orthodox communities moving towards merger have chosen a site for the amalgamated congregation.

Members of the Giffnock and Newlands and Newton Mearns shuls last year agreed to form a single community, to be known as the Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue (GNMS).

A sub-committee was established to produce a report on the merits of each site to allow members to make an informed decision. They have now voted to develop the Giffnock building.

GNMS chair Jeffrey Jesner said it had been “a hard slog with lively and robust debates”.

The report was completed before Pesach and a “very lively” Q&A session was held to address members’ concerns.

With a turnout of more than 70 per cent of the membership, the result of the ballot was almost three-to-one in favour of retaining and developing the Giffnock site.

Project leaders say that now the location has been chosen, “the next step in this exciting project is to compile plans for adapting the Giffnock site to accommodate our future needs”.

A GNMS source told the JC that while the Giffnock and Newton Mearns shuls were continuing to hold separate Shabbat services, they were “increasingly operating as one business with two branches”.

Weekday services had been merged some time ago and social events were now being held on a joint basis.

Proceeds from the sale of the Newton Mearns site would help guarantee the future of the merged congregation and “everything is on the table” for facilities in the revamped Giffnock building.

To help attract the unaffiliated in the area, activities for younger people would be a key consideration, the source said.

And given that the Giffnock and Newton Mearns buildings are some two miles apart, provision would be made for Newton Mearns congregants unable to get to the Giffnock site on Shabbat.

The two communities currently involve a total of around 800 people, two-thirds at Giffnock.