Bradford Synagogue enjoyed a true moment of celebration as Suzie Cree, Chair of Trustees, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at the age of 73, a rare and deeply moving occasion in the life of this landmark community.
Suzie’s Bat Mitzvah was not only a personal milestone but a symbol of renewal for the synagogue, which has not hosted a Bnei Mitzvah since 2019. Her leadership over the past four years, following the passing of Rudi Leavor z’l, has been instrumental in continuing his legacy of interfaith and intercommunity connection.
Suzie said: “I am proud to be a member of this wonderful community and look forward to its future with confidence.”
The service took place in the Grade II* listed synagogue, completed in 1880, the oldest synagogue in the UK affiliated with the Movement for Progressive Judaism. It is now a cherished part of Bradford’s cultural heritage.
Suzie read from the Czech Scroll, a Torah scroll originally from the Pinchas Synagogue in Prague, written in the same year as Bradford’s building. Rescued after the Holocaust and brought to the UK through the efforts of Bradford solicitor Ralph Yablon, the scroll is now on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust.
Suzie expressed heartfelt thanks to Rabbi Douglas Charing, who has served the community for nearly 30 years, and to Rabbi Roberta Harris-Eckstein, with whom she studied Biblical Hebrew online through the Lehrhaus adult education programme at Leo Baeck College.
As Chair, Suzie is leading efforts to renovate the synagogue and expand its role as an educational and cultural centre, while maintaining its spiritual life.
Pictures: (c) Martin Williams
