The story of Talmud Torah moving from 47 West Bar Green to 22 Paradise Square in 1905. Opening ceremony on 26 February 1905.
The community meeting minutes note that on Sunday, 31st July 1904, it was proposed that the Shul should take up rooms in Paradise Square as it was in want of other premises for some time. Rooms in Paradise Square should be taken up as soon as possible and the rooms in 47 West Bar Green should be given up at an early date. Later, in October, a decision was taken that the words Talmud Torah the Hebrew Sheffield Jewish School be placed on the wall of the new premises, which should be advertised in the Jewish Chronicle.
In addition, a proposal was made that TO LET bills should be placed in a few shop windows advertising what spare rooms of the new premises were there to let and applications should be made to Mr Rose, at 37 Silver Street Head. A gentleman outside of Sheffield should be chosen to open the new premises. A first meeting was held on Sunday 11 December 1904 in the new premises on 22 Paradise Square. The Rev Singer examined the school on Monday 26 December 1904 and he said that ‘he was highly pleased with the result of the examination, he had examined a good many schools during these last few years, but he had never come across a more brighter set of boys who had done well.
Alderman Moser of Bradford accepted to come and open the new school premises, with an opening ceremony set for 26 February 1905.
On Sunday February 26th 1905, Alderman Moser of Bradford was met at the station by the Chairman of Talmud Torah, Isaac Saygol, and H. L. Brown, arriving at Talmud Torah for the opening ceremony at 3pm. After the gilded key was presented to the Alderman by the Chairman, Mr Moser made a short speech declaring the School open, most of the officials of each institution and a crowded attendance being present.
The Rev. Klein bid the Alderman welcome on entering the School, and each classroom with the boys attending were visited by Mr Moser, who spoke a few words of advice to each class. An adjournment was made to the meeting room upstairs, where the afternoon service was read by Rev. Klein in the presence of a large attendance.
The service being over, the company then left for the Vestry Hall, West Bar Green, where a public meeting was to take place, also a reception after the meeting. The Chairman, after introducing Alderman Moser, called upon him to address the audience which numbered about six hundred persons.
Alderman Moser spoke for a good length of time and his remarks said he wished the Talmud Torah School every success, and now that it was open he had every confidence that such a school with a bright set of boys, good staff of teachers and a hard working committee, would always remain open and would never be closed. The Alderman said that he had indeed received a great welcome in Sheffield, more than he anticipated, and he thanked them all for the kind words which had been said about him.
(Source: Minutes of the School board courtesy of Sheffield City Archives)
