Wrottesley St

The Chung Ying restaurant on the corner of Wrottesley St and Ladywell Walk has been used as a synagogue twice: between 1853 and 1856, and from 1901 and 1928. It is the ancestor of the Central Synagogue on the Pershore Road.

In 1853, a group of about ninety members left Singers Hill Synagogue complaining about the 'supremacy of money', that 'poor Jews worshipped on sufferance', and about the 'dictatorial airs' of David Barnett, one of the leading members of the Congregation. They held services in Wrottesley St for three years, but were persuaded to return to Singers Hill in 1856 when the system for collecting membership payments was revised.

The second split in the Congregation, which happened at the end of the19th century, was permanent. At this time, many Jews were coming to Birmingham from Central and Eastern Europe. They found Singers Hill, which was known as 'the Englische schule' (synagogue) very different from the synagogues they were used to, and around 1900, a small group left Singers Hill and set up the Wrottesley St Beth Hamedrash, which become known as 'the immigrants' synagogue'.

The governing council of Singers Hill gave financial support to the synagogue, but for many years, the Beth Hamedrash was required to apply to them annually for permission to hold services and they were not allowed to employ a Mohel (who performs circumcisions) or a Schohet (kosher butcher).