Jewish families started to move further north of Manchester. In the early 1960's and by 1964 a small community had gathered in the Sunnybank area of Bury close to Manchester Road.
With the advent of new homes being built on farm land beyond the Library, there was an influx of new Jewish families into the area.

A meeting was held at Blackford Bridge Reform Church and plans were laid to purchase land to build a small synagogue. A committee was formed with the first elected President, Mr Sidney Goldstone; Vice-president, Mr L. Ingleby; Treasurer, Mr I. Hymanson; Warden, Mr Gerald Taylor and Secretaries, Mr E Glass and Mr A. Taylor.

Friday night and shabbas services were conducted in individual members' homes. Subscriptions were two shillings and sixpence (12½p) per week - later Mr. Ingleby arranged a blanket policy with an insurance company to cover burials - and so families with "shul" membership plus burial was initiated. Members of a small council collected weekly subscriptions to build up a fund to enable us to buy, build or rent a shul. Enthusiasm was great with the formation of a Fund Raising Committee. The Ladies Committee, under its first chairwoman - Mrs Rose Ingleby, was formed, and initiated many fund raising functions.

Mr Hymanson started negotiations and with "hard bargaining" purchased a piece of derelict land, approximately one and a quarter acres, at the corner of Manchester Road and Sunnybank Road as the site for the new shul. Now, at last, planning could go ahead as the congregation was growing fast. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services that year were held in the hall of the United Reform Church at Blackford Bridge, with borrowed Sifrei Torah. Chanukah services and children's parties were held at the Sunnybank Community Centre. Weekend services continued to be held in the members' homes.

1965 - This was the year of progress. In February it saw a gathering of families on the site of the proposed new shul. Signs were erected, proudly announcing that the "Bury & District Jewish Community" had arrived.

June 18th - A great day for the Community. The Turf Cutting Ceremony and Consecration by Dayan Golditch. A prefabricated building was purchased at a cost of £5,000 and was rapidly furnished. At the first High Festival services in the new building in September 1965, over 120 people attended in a charged atmosphere. The name of the congregation was officially changed to become "The Bury Hebrew Congregation". Daily services were conducted by two teenagers - Stephen Lewis (later to become a Rabbi) and Harvey Rosenfield.

The congregation continued to grow and it was decided that a part-time minister was required. Our very own Rev. David Grunsfeld, who lived with his parents in Broughton Park, was appointed, and he also became the headmaster of our thriving cheder. His appointment took place in 1967 and he walked to Bury every shabbas to conduct the services (a distance of some 5 miles). He married in his mid-twenties and settled in Linksway Drive (Sunnybank) in 1972 before making Aliyah to Israel.

In 1966 demand was high for the formation of a "nursery". For many years a very successful Nursery took place every weekday morning from 10.00am to 12.15pm under a series of very capable fully trained teacher, with over 30 children attending on a regular basis. This Nursery, plus the Nursery from Whitefield shul, was the basis for the start up of our Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School in 1984.

1969 - The "prefab" was in daily use for services, cheder, fund raising and small functions - jumble sales etc. and all the time the membership was growing rapidly. It became necessary to provide an Overflow Service a the High Festivals so the solution was another temporary "prefab" erected at the rear of the shul.

1975 - By the mid 70's it was apparent that the "prefab" was inadequate for the size of congregation. Plans were made, architects instructed and a "Building Fund Committee" formed (as attested by the plaque in the shul entrance hall) to build a complete shul with offices, entrance hall, kitchen, toilets, cloakrooms etc. for around £65,000. At an Extraordinary General Meeting the community feared the financial implications of such a large debt and voted to build the shul complex in three stages. The first stage, i.e. the shul, offices, entrance hall and toilets, with a passageway joining the main synagogue to the prefab was approved.

1983 - Rabbi Moshe Fine, who was single and in his twenties was appointed.

1997 - The prefabricated building, which housed the Beth Hamedresh, cheder classrooms and youth activities was now 32 years old and had deteriorated to such an extent that further repairs were impractical. The time had come to demolish it and build a new extension on the first floor. Work was completed in mid 1997 and opened on Sunday 26th April 1998/10th Nissan 5758 and is named in memory of David Rose.

2000 - The schul dedicated a Sefer Torah in memory of its late revered warden, Sol weinstock on September 10th/10th Ellul. After completing the Sefer at Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary school, a procession escorted the Sefer to the shul where it was installed with much joy and celebration.

The shul continues to thrive as the religious and social centre for the 350 member families living in the area. See the menu on the left to discover more about Bury shul.