New synagogue welcomes Chief Rabbi in 'trying times'

The Chief Rabbi was guest of honour at the consecration of a new synagogue and has warned that Jews are facing "challenging and trying times".

Sir Ephraim Mirvis attended the special event for the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation at its new home in the East Cliff.

The community vacated its premises of the last 121 years in Wootton Gardens to move to a location where most of its worshippers live.

Sir Ephraim told the BBC: "We are going through some exceptionally challenging and trying times right now and this is not just in the UK. Antisemitism is rising at a global, very worrying level."

He added: "Together with that, Jewish community life is thriving... and today's event is an outstanding reflection of the thriving nature of Jewish life here in the UK.

"We are a community which, please God, will have a glorious and wonderful future."

The formal opening comes at a time when members of the Jewish community in the UK have been subject to a rise in violent attacks, and there was a heightened police presence on site, including armed officers.

The congregation has moved into a building which originally belonged to Bournemouth Reform Synagogue.

Chair Bettina Gould said: "Our new spiritual home is right in the middle of most of our membership and it just means that people can participate in services, in communal life, and it's something that we are very excited about."

Discussing Sir Ephraim's visit, Stephen White, senior trustee, said: "It's a significant day for our congregation, it's a significant day for the Bournemouth Jewish community, and it's a significant day for the community in general."

Referring to attacks on the Jewish community in Heaton Park, Manchester, and Golders Green, north London, he said: "We've had our problems but we are very resilient."

"We hold our heads up high. We of course take the appropriate precautions to make sure that our members are safe.

"We know that the vast majority of our fellow citizens in Bournemouth are with us and supportive of us. We know that there will always be a small minority who are not. We get on with our lives."

Sir Ephraim said: "Bournemouth is just such a popular and lovely place and it's wonderful, not just because of its location and the facilities it has, but within our community we're spoiled to have a community of great calibre.

"That is always how the Bournemouth Jewish community has been and continues to be, and as a result this community, please God, will continue to have a great future."