| Description | Names, some dates, and many words relating to Jewish customs are in Hebrew in the early volumes of this series. There are references to employment of staff (in 5589 Israel Levy was given a month's notice and in 5592 Mr Chapman was engaged as Minister), to taxing kosher meat, to altering the Laws and the election of new sub-committees, including the appointment of a Poor Relief Board in 1853 and a Cemetery Committee and Bread and Rice Committee in 1867. By 1854, a General Committee, a Finance Committee, a School Committee, and a Relief Committee are meeting. |
| AdminHistory | Council is the governing body of the Congregation.
According to the 1963 Laws of the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation (JA/2/G/8), Council is composed of 21 elected members. Seven are elected annually; vacancies are created by the retirement of the seven longest-serving members of Council, who may offer themselves for re-election. Council elects from its members the President, Vice-President, and the Chairman of Council. It also elects the Chairmen of the various sub-committees of Council: the Chevra Kadisha (burial society), the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Choir Committee, the Hebrew and Religious Instruction Committee, the Cemeteries Committee, the Buildings Committee, the School Properties Committee, and the representatives of the Congregation on the Birmingham Shechita Board, which oversees the supply of kosher meat. For more information about the history and remit of these committees, see JA/1/B-P and Birmingham Shechita Board (MS 2529).
The Council has the power to make laws, appoint the Minister, clerical staff, and a Secretary and Assistant Secretary according to the provisions of the Marriage Act, and appoint Auditors and the Trustees of the Congregation's property and investments.
The history of Council
The earliest minutes in the collection show that in the 1820s the Congregation was governed by a President and Vice-President, plus a group of usually five men, known as 'the Committee'. The Committee was elected annually by the 'free members' at one of the half-yearly general meetings. The Committee often included the outgoing President and Vice-President. It met quarterly to check the Congregation's accounts and also held special meetings when required; this might be to agree burial or marriage fees, grant poor relief, or settle disputes between members of the Congregation or staff.
'Free members', who paid over a certain amount in membership fees, had the right to vote and sit on Council. The amount of membership fees paid also determined where a member could sit in the synagogue. In 1851, it was decided that 'the present system could cause inequalities and bad feeling between rich and poor members, did not produce a steady income, and 'was totally subversive of that decorum which should pervade the house of G-D', and several attempts were made to revise it.
A Special Finance Committee was appointed in 1851 to devise a new system. Three Committees of members were appointed to make the assessments, and the Secretary then issued a circular advising them of their decision. A collector was engaged to extract the money. There was a right of appeal. The assessment systems proved very unpopular and was probably one reason why some of the congregation decided to leave Singers Hill for a separate synagogue in Wrottesley St in 1853. A letter sent to the Chief Rabbi at the time complained of the 'supremacy of money' and that 'poor Jews worshipped almost on sufferance' (see JA/2/N/3).
From the 1850s, General Meetings include both seatholders and free members.
On 26 April 1853, the rules regarding membership payments and the election of Council were changed and the following resolutions were agreed:
'that any person residing in town for 12 months and who has paid an assessment of less than 1 shilling per week may become a Free Member, subject to the Ballot or being proposed and seconded in Writing one month previous to the Annual Meeting by 2 free members not in Arrears and on payment of 3 Guineas;
Any person who has resided in the Town for 3 years and paid an assessment of not less than one shilling per week during the whole of that period is entitled to become a free member subject to an open vote for his admission without the payment of any fee, on applying for same, one month previous to the Annual General Meeting;
The Government of the Congregation is vested in a Council of 14 free members whose assessment at the time of their appointment may not be less than 1/6 per week.'
In 1856, the system was changed again. Minutes of a meeting held on 13 April 1856 passed new Laws which called 'the present system of assessment…unequal and unjust' and ordered that it be repealed from the date of occupancy of the New Synagogue (Singers Hill). Instead, seats in the synagogue were classified and rated: the most expensive gentlemen's seats cost 6/- per week and the cheapest 6d per week, while ladies' seats cost between 2/- and 6/-. Members were given a copy of the seat plans and asked to fill in a form applying for seats. A ballot was then held to determine who should sit where.
On 23 April 1867, numbers on Council were increased to 20. |