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Leeds Jewish Care Services
History of LJCS
A history of Leeds Jewish Social Care starts with The Leeds Jewish Welfare Board as it was previously known from the beginning 1878...
The organisation was formed at a meeting held on the 28 February 1878 in Leeds. Known as the Board of Guardians the object of the organisation was to provide a broad system of relief to those who need it and in so doing stop the need for door to door begging and to encourage people to embark on earning an honest livelihood. The address for the organisation was Belgrave Street close to the central shopping district of Leeds.
Paul Hirsch was the initial president retaining the role until his death some thirty years later.
For many years the main function of The Board of Guardians was to hand out funds to the needy to prevent them from having to enter the workhouse. This help included railway tickets and food vouchers and the steady stream of needy soon became a flood in the mass immigration years that followed due to pogroms in Russia.
The Board of Guardians occupied its offices next to the synagogue on Belgrave street for 50 years before moving to Brunswick Place in 1930. It remained there until moving to Stonegate Road on the site of the current premises, the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre which was opened in 2005.
For those who know Leeds Jewish Care Services as it exists today with over 100 professional staff, and many hundreds of volunteers across dozens of management committees it is a far cry from the initial days when The Board of Guardians had NO professional staff and relied only on volunteers and potential clients putting themselves in front of the panel to stake their claim for welfare and support.
Some example cases of the time were:
- £5 granted to a family wanting passage to America. Later increased to £8.16 as £8.80 was the cost of one ticket
- Refused help with a fare of one railway ticket to London case not deserving
- £2 granted to a dental case
- Childrens holiday fund complained about two children being too dirty to send
- Appeal cards decided upon to be placed in synagogues and to be printed in both English and Yiddish
- Jewish soldier discharged with wife and five children awarded 50p per week to go to a convalescent home
- In the case of a girl leaving prison her £5 quarterly fee for staying in a London rescue home was granted
In June 1921 an appeal for £5000 resulted in less that £2000 being raised. Consideration was given to the reduction of support and welfare but without causing hardship. Efforts were being made by Jewish tailors in the city to keep Jewish labour out of their factories.
As an indication of size etc the case load for 1921 comprised of 183 cases of residential relief made up of 627 individuals who had received 3599 benefits. In addition 108 non residents had also received help.
In the 1920s Mrs Clive Behrens, (nee Rothschild of the famous banking family) placed her home in Malton at the disposal of the community to be used as a convalescent home.
The next period in the Board of Guardians history included the turbulent years of the second world war. This obviously brought much strain and hardship including a large immigrant community coming into Leeds. In the 1940s a fresh intake of talent from Leeds Jewish families arrived to undertake voluntary work and a new constitution was formed towards the end of 1942 which forms the basis of the constitution of the company today.
After the war social care reform across the country was mirrored by a new set up of volunteer and professional staff at the Board of Guardians. New services were offered including communal sedarim at Passover and prisoner rights. Hospital visits were also organised and this volunteer activity continues today. Outings and holidays during the summer were introduced.
A general welfare committee was set up in 1949 to run existing services but look more proactively at introducing new services such as meals, visits to the lonely and sick, weekly socials and the distribution of clothing etc This was followed by the appointment of a full time welfare officer. Friday meal provision and an annual Chanukah party were also introduced.
The fifties saw the appointment of another member of staff in the post of secretary. The main committees were the executive, the welfare committee, the Victor Lightman loan fund, the ladies committee and the concert committee. 1953 saw the formation of The Leeds Jewish Housing Association, a sister organisation designed to meet the housing needs in the community. Also in the 1950s the board started a home help scheme and it invited representatives of all Leeds Jewish social care provision organisations to be represented on its executive. This included The Leeds Jewish Blind Society, Home for Aged, Ladies Aid Society, Leeds Jewish Institute, United Hebrew Congregation, Bnai Brith Social Welfare Committee and Jewish Convalescent Home.
1962 saw the commencement of construction of The Queenshill Community Centre. Following a compulsory purchase order the organisation was forced to find new premises in 1968. It relocated to Stonegate road on the site of the present offices after LJHA acquired the land on the Queenshill Estate and the Stonegate road frontage as a site office.
A junior committee called The League of Guardians was set up in 1969 and the name of the organisation in total changed in 1971 to The Leeds Jewish Welfare Board. Also in 1971 Westhill House opened in Chapel Allerton. The accommodation was eight bed sit style flats and the first residents were people with learning difficulties. This was a pre-runner to the Rainbow Project.
In March 1973 the Leeds Jewish Day Centre otherwise known as The Queenshill Day Centre and now housed in the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre was opened. 300 people poured through the doors and up to five hundred did so in many weeks following. Membership rose to 500 plus and the centre acted primarily as a place for socialising with skill tuition and leisure activities covering a wide variety of themes etc. The day centre concept was designed to make life for the elderly less lonely and the opening of the new facility did much to uphold that with people seeing members of the community they have not seen for literally decades. These values and clients are a foundation of the current Hub at The Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre.
Presidents
Paul Hirsch 1878 1908
Victor Lightman 1908 1928
Hyman Morris 1928 1947
Charles Sumrie 1947 1964
Albert Morris 1964 1968
Arnold Ziff 1968 1986
Arnold Reuben 1986 1996
Robert Manning 1996 2006
Edward Ziff - 2006
Executive officers
Heinz Skyte 1951 1985
Barry Addleman 1985 1987
Sheila Saunders 1987 2005
Rebecca Weinberg 2005-
In late 2005 The Leeds Jewish Welfare Board split to become the two organisations it is today. The former organisation remains as a fundraising trust with activities such as The Variety Show, The Bazaar, The Charity Shop, The Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre under its remit. All of the care service delivery side and welfare and social care is delivered by Leeds Jewish Care Services. The core values of this new organisation are as deeply entrenched as those of its founding board and it concentrates solely on care delivery and supporting those in need within the Leeds Jewish Community.
For further information about this and other services please contact us on 0113 268 4211 or email theboard@ljwb.co.uk