Members of Whitefield Hebrew Congregation in Manchester voted in favour of firing both the shul’s rabbi and chazan at a special general meeting on Thursday night.

At the meeting, described by one congregant as “painful”, resolutions were passed “to confirm the termination of the contract of employment” of Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag and chazan Joseph Muller.

In an emotional speech before the vote, chazan Muller, attired in the full white regalia of his profession, told the approximately 200 people present that he was dressed that way “not because I am blowing the shofar or reading the megillah in private houses for the homebound people…not because this is a day of judgment for me and my family… [but] because these are the garments I wear when we are all united with our heart and spirit in this shul”.

He described how he had served the shul for 17 years and expressed the hope that members would “make the right decision tonight to allow me to dedicate myself to contribute to this great place and its future, to make this place continue to flourish and prosper for many years to come”.

In a statement on Friday, Rabbi Guttentag said he was “hugely disappointed by the results of last night's vote. The result does not mirror the feedback I have received and I am extremely grateful to all those who have supported me over this difficult period. It is an honour and a privilege to be the rabbi of the Whitefield community and I am immensely proud of the contribution I have made and hope to continue to make. I am currently considering all my options and will reflect on how to go forward in the coming days.”

Under the synagogue’s by-laws, any move by the executive to get rid of the shul’s religious employees had to be approved by the membership. A previous attempt in 2012 to fire the rabbi proved unsuccessful, with congregants voting against it.

Both the Whitefield Kollel and the Whitefield Shul Choir had published statements making it clear that firing both Rabbi Guttentag and chazan Muller would effectively mean the end of both groups.

Although the board of the synagogue has repeatedly cited funding as the key reason for making both the rabbi and chazzan redundant, the JC understands that there had been disagreements between parties on a number of issues, including the celebration of batmitzvahs in shul on Shabbat and use of a downstairs women’s section.

A congregant who attended the meeting described it as “an emotional night for Whitefield. We have always had one shul, one rabbi and one community. It’s not clear that there is any real plan ahead, short or medium term.

“It’s painful to sit through this at such an important time of year. Many people are dismayed at the outcome.”