ByJonathan Kalmus, Jonathan Kalmus
The official opening of the first Federation synagogue outside of the London area attracted a crowd of 600 in Salford on Sunday.
Completed in two years, the £1.3 million Ohr Yerushalayim shul was completed with the help of a £500,000 investment from the Federation of Synagogues.
The shul, whose ark and banqueting suite are finished with Jerusalem stone, has a thriving congregation ranging from modern Orthodox to Charedi.
Federation president Alan Finlay said the sale of under-used synagogues had helped to fund the Manchester congregation, in line with the Federation's ethos. "The membership has a wide spectrum so we are happy about that."
Also present was Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, who said the new community will "help channel the Federation to represent central Orthodoxy".
Ohr Yerushalayim president Dov Black applauded the "fantastic concept of taking realised funds from old shuls and supporting new, young and vibrant communities".