Papers of the Glasgow Jewish Institute

Scope and Content
The collection consists mostly of material created by the Institute with separate sections for the Bridge and Chess Clubs. There is some material collected by Scottish Jewish Archives Centre staff at CUL/INS/0010 - Presscuttings and Notes.
Administrative / Biographical History
The Jewish Institute was the main social centre of the Gorbals Jewish community. It developed out of earlier organisations, such as the Glasgow Jewish Young Men's Association, founded in 1900. In 1935, the Institute took over the former MacNicol Memorial Church, next to the synagogue, at 93-95 South Portland Street. This became a fully equipped social, cultural and recreational centre, with a membership of 2,000 in its heyday.
The 1936 rules and constitution give the objects of the Institute as 'to establish and maintain a centre for social amenities between members of the Jewish Community in Glasgow, to provide healthy recreation by means of lectures, debates, concerts, athletics etc [and] to assist Jewish Religious and Cultural Bodies and also Charitable Organisations'. According to a brochure from 1953, the amenities included a bar, billiards, bridge club, chess club, dramatic club with its own theatre, entertainment, Ladies's Section, literary society and table tennis.
With the decline of the Jewish Gorbals, the Institute closed c1970 and reopened briefly in Pollokshields, then Giffnock, but it was never able to replicate its former success.
Access Information
Open

Scope and Content