Discovering Belfast

In this post, I would like to share with you my day trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Belfast is only about a one-hour flight from Manchester, making it a wonderful destination for a day trip. This time, I invited the ladies from my walking group to come along. Normally, I prefer to visit a place by myself first before taking my group, but I decided to treat this as a test trip and invited anyone who wished to come along. One lady joined me, so there were two of us on this adventure.

We arrived in Belfast at around 8:00 am. Our first stop was Tesco Extra in Antrim, a small town in County Antrim, where we bought some water and fruit for the day.

From there, we travelled to the Giant’s Causeway, one of Northern Ireland’s most famous natural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Giant’s Causeway is made up of thousands of unique hexagonal basalt columns stretching along the coastline.

It attracts visitors from all over the world, and during our visit we met people from the United States, Mexico, Denmark, Switzerland, and many other countries.

There are several walking routes available at the Giant’s Causeway. This time we chose one of the shorter walks, although I would love to return one day and complete the longest route. The scenery was beautiful and the coastal views were stunning. While planning the trip, I read reviews from people who completed the longer walk, and many said it offered even more spectacular views. Still, the shorter route was definitely worth experiencing.

We enjoyed walking along the coast, taking photographs, and simply appreciating the beauty of nature.

Afterwards, we planned to visit the famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a rope bridge suspended high above the sea between the mainland and a small rocky island. However, when we arrived we were told that it was about a 20-minute walk to reach the bridge. By that point we were already quite tired from our walk at the Giant’s Causeway, and it had started to rain, so instead we decided to relax with a hot drink at a local café.

Our next stop was the Belfast Jewish Community shul (synagogue).

There we met Stephen, who kindly opened the synagogue especially for us. As soon as we walked inside, it felt as though we had stepped back in time. The building carries the atmosphere of generations past, and it was a very moving experience.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Stephen, a lifelong member of the Belfast Jewish Community. After showing us around the synagogue, he kindly agreed to a short interview about Jewish life in Belfast.

Q: First of all, tell us a little about the Jewish community in Belfast.

Stephen: The community is very small. Today we have only around 60 paying members, about half men and half women. At its peak, during and after the war years, there were around 1,200–1,400 Jewish people here. Even in the 1960s there were still around 1,200 members of the community.

Q: Were you born in Ireland?

Stephen: No, I was born in Glasgow, Scotland. I moved to Northern Ireland with my parents in 1954 when I was a little boy and I've lived here ever since.

Q: How did your family end up in Belfast?

Stephen: My father came here for business.

Q: Tell us a little about this synagogue.

Stephen: This synagogue was built in 1964, so it's now over 60 years old. It is actually the third synagogue that has existed in Northern Ireland. The first synagogue was opened about 160 years ago.

Q: What does Shabbos look like in such a small community?

Stephen: At the moment we don't have a rabbi. Our last rabbi left, and it's difficult to find someone who wants to move to such a small and isolated community.

We bring people over from time to time to lead services. They don't necessarily have to be rabbis, but they need to be able to conduct the services.

Getting a minyan can be difficult. On a typical Shabbos morning there might only be around a dozen people.

Q: Are you still looking for a rabbi?

Stephen: Yes. We're still looking. We currently have someone who comes for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. He has connections with a former Belfast rabbi and understands the community well.

Q: How do you celebrate festivals such as Pesach, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when there are so few people?

Stephen: Before COVID we sometimes organised communal seders. Since then it has become more difficult because the community is smaller and older.

For the High Holidays we usually bring someone in from outside Belfast to help lead the services.

Q: What is the biggest challenge of being Jewish in Belfast today?

Stephen: The community is ageing. We no longer have many children to educate. Many young people left Belfast to study in England and never came back.

Q: What is the advantage of living in Belfast?

Stephen: It's a nice place to live. People are generally friendly and welcoming. Housing is cheaper than London and life is comfortable.

Q: Is there a special historical story about the community that you like to tell visitors?

Stephen: Yes. After the Second World War, around 60 Jewish refugee children came to Northern Ireland. They lived on a farm near Millisle which operated almost like a kibbutz.

The local community welcomed them and their story is still remembered today. There is even a plaque commemorating them.

Q: What happened to those children afterwards?

Stephen: Some stayed in Northern Ireland, some moved to England, some went to Israel and others emigrated elsewhere.

Q: What is your dream for the community in ten years' time?

Stephen: Honestly, I don't think the community will still exist in ten years.

Most of the people who currently run the synagogue are already in their eighties. There is very little younger generation left to continue the work.

Q: Is there anything you would like people to know about Belfast's Jewish community?

Stephen: We may be small, but we have a long and proud history. We try our best to keep Jewish life alive, welcome visitors, and preserve the heritage of the community for future generations.

After the interview, Stephen continued showing us around the synagogue and answering our many questions. It was a fascinating and moving experience, and I left with a much deeper appreciation for this small but remarkable community.

We still had some time before our flight home, so we headed to Cave Hill, a popular viewpoint overlooking Belfast.

There is also a beautiful castle there called Belfast Castle, surrounded by lovely, well-maintained gardens. We spent some time walking around, enjoying the views and the peaceful atmosphere.

As a photographer, I could easily imagine myself photographing a wedding couple or a family there. The gardens were beautifully maintained and provided a perfect setting for photos.

It was a lovely way to end the day before heading back to the airport.

It was a wonderful day filled with beautiful landscapes, interesting conversations, new discoveries, and meaningful encounters.

I hope you enjoyed coming along on this virtual trip to Belfast. I'm already looking forward to sharing my next adventures with you. If you would like to hear about future trips or perhaps even join one, just let me know and I'll add you to my notification list.