A campaign has been launched to save Margate Synagogue in Cliftonville, which has been put up for sale by the dwindling Orthodox community after it decided it could no longer manage the building.
To avoid the site being demolished or converted into flats, the campaign needs to raise around £400,000. The idea is to maintain the building as a communal venue, with hopes it can be used for both religious pursuits and cultural activities, servicing the town’s “blossoming arts scene”.
The campaign is being spearheaded by klezmer cellist Francesca Ter-Berg, who told the JC the synagogue was a “beautiful building” with the potential to be something that “celebrates the Jewish heritage and cultural contribution to the area.
“Margate was a very popular holiday destination for Jewish people from the 50s to the mid-90s.” Although vacation habits had changed, “there are a lot of Jewish people in the area who are interested in conserving [the building] and putting on Jewish events”.
