AFTER two years of refurbishment, the Manchester Jewish Museum has reopened.

Max Dunbar, the Museum’s Chief Executive said when he got the keys in April he felt “thrilled, excited and desperate to open”.

Max attended Temple Moor and Moorlands Primary School.

He became a pupil at Sale Grammar School where he loved history and gained an A-level in the subject.

He now lives in Hale with his wife, Zoe and two children.

He described his lowest point during lockdown of the museum and personal lockdown as “trying to run a £6 million capital project in the kitchen whilst, at the same time, home schooling.”

The 42-year-old wanted to work in a museum after a trip to the British Museum inspired him when he saw curators install objects for an exhibition.

This experience led him to study for an MA in Museology at the University of East Anglia

He said: “I enjoy watching people explore

and discover the amazing items in our collection.”

“Our gallery celebrates the diversity of Manchester’s Jewish communities whilst exploring themes that everyone can relate to regardless of faith, age or background, such as journeys, communities and identities.”

He praised the new vegetarian, kosher style café and the learning kitchen where people can bake, cook and share recipes.

The most exciting artefact among the thousands of exhibits was a surprise.

“We discovered a time capsule hidden in the walls. filled with newspapers and coins from the 1870s when the synagogue was built.

“None of us could believe it had been there so long” he said.

A central point in the opening was an installation by Laura Provost entitled The Long waited Weighted Gallery. It was inspired by the stories of women who worshipped in the museum’s synagogue.

The first Jewish people arrived in Manchester in the 1740s seeing it as a place of economic opportunity.

By the 1780s a community of Jewish salesmen and shopkeepers had settled and established businesses in the city.

Max said: “The museum will become a popular destination for anyone interested in the arts, heritage and galleries.”