The city’s Jewish population in that period was around 7,500, almost four times bigger than it is today, she said.
Lawrence Galkoff, Percy Galkoff’s great-grandson, believes the project will “revitalise” the story of Merseyside Jewry.
“It is important to keep this heritage alive,” he said. “It’s important we understand why people came to Liverpool to seek a better life. It will help us to understand the history of immigration better.”
The shop closed in the late 1970s, when Jews moved to the city’s suburbs and other areas.
It was awarded Grade II-listed status in 2007 on account of its “nationally unique” façade, comprising 855 tiles.
“Galkoff’s wasn’t the best-known or biggest kosher butcher in Liverpool. It was known for those green tiles,” pointed out Ms Learman, a Liverpool Jewish native who moved back from London to work on the project.
“If it wasn’t for the tiles, it might not have survived.
“The reason they got the tiles in the first place was because the shop was doing well and it was a statement. It’s quite spectacular.”
Local legend has it that the shop supplied meat to the Titanic. But having received information from two dozen people — “and we hope to speak with 60 more” — there was no evidence to support this. The façade is currently covered partially by hoardings but the name of the shop, as well as the Hebrew for “kosher”, remain visible from the street.
It will be taken down tile-by-tile, with damaged pieces restored individually by specialists before being put back together for display at the Museum of Liverpool, on the city’s riverside.
It will be exhibited for at least five years from autumn 2018, with the National Museums Liverpool group pledging to store and maintain it indefinitely.
Longer term, there is the possibility for it to be loaned to other social history museums, such as the Jewish museums in London and Manchester.
Councillor Nick Small, in whose Central ward Pembroke Place is located, welcomed the Lottery support.
“We’ve worked for about two years to get this through. This was an iconic place and we have a proud Jewish community who have contributed a great deal to our city.
“We want to keep that history and tell the story.”
