ByJonathan Kalmus, Jonathan Kalmus
Liverpool's King David Primary is experiencing a dramatic increase in Jewish pupils in advance of its move to new premises in September.
The school has seen its proportion of Jewish students drop to 15 per cent of the annual 60-pupil intake in recent years. It was feared the fall indicated an irreversibly shrinking community.
But Jewish applications have doubled this year to 19, accounting for around one third of the intake. There is also a family moving from Liverpool to London but their children are going into different age groups.
The increased demand follows a hugely successful Pesach outing at Allerton Synagogue which attracted a record 90 young families.
Deputy governors' chair and Merseyside Jewish Representative Council chairman Ian Cohen said the rise was encouarging.
‘There are plenty of young families’
"I can't say with any certainty there is a trend of growth, but what it does demonstrate is there are plenty of young Jewish families and the community continues to remain solid. It points very favourably for the move to the new campus."
Primary governors' chair Lauren Lesin-Davis added: "This is very positive as it will strengthen the Jewish identity of families that might have previously been on the periphery of the community. There are also families moving into the area, either people who left and are returning or new families that, say, might be moving here to work. The new school, together with other community initiatives, is certainly playing an integral part in regenerating the community."
The primary will join the King David High and Harold House community centre on the one site.
Mr Cohen is urging community members to take part in a Jewish census, whose findings will aid strategic planning. The results are due at the end of the year. Outreach work with families who do not use Jewish schools or communal facilities would be a priority.
"We have to ensure that families are aware of the benefits of the new campus which is state-of-the-art, and let them know you won't get a better education facility in the area. So there is no reason not to send children to the school."