NESTLED in the middle of Kersal Moor, the Prestwich-based Fed has long been at the heart of the Jewish community in Greater Manchester.

Created in 2009 from two of Manchester’s oldest Jewish charities, The Fed, or Federation of Jewish Services, dates back to the 19th century ­— when its founders administered support and provision to Jewish people across the city region.

The Fed itself emerged as the Board of Guardians for the relief of the Jewish Poor of Manchester in 1867. While its constituent Heathlands Village care home evolved from the Home for Aged and Needy Jews established in 1898 by The Committee of the Bread, Meat and Coal Society.

It currently has around 150 residents at its Heathlands Village sites, the vast majority of whom are Jewish, as well as employing hundreds of staff and volunteers.

As a non-partisan charitable organisation The Fed has no direct affiliation with the State of Israel. However the nation continues to occupy a prominent role for many of the facility's residents and staff, due to what its chairman Bernard Yaffe calls an “intertwined and integral” relationship between Judaism and Israel based on history and religion.

Mr Yaffe said: “The Fed is an apolitical organisation, our activity is Manchester based. We have strong connections with Israel, but not from a care point of view, it is more of a religious, social and cultural connection.

“As an organisation we respect the right of Israel to exist but beyond that we do not take a position. It is more about affinity and we do promote peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Mr Yaffe added: “To a large extent Israel is very much intertwined for our residents.

“A lot of our residents have either visited Israel or have family there. For some who are more religious it is very much in mind. We also have irreligious people here and people who have nothing to do with Israel. But the majority do have an affinity with Israel.”

He added: “A lot of people here would say that they are very proud of the connection between the two countries and think very highly of Israel because of its achievements.”

The Fed also has links to various care homes and organisations in Israel, including with Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and research centre in Jerusalem.

In recent years Holocaust survivors who now live at Heathlands Village and across Greater Manchesters have shared their stories in Yad Vashem’s My Voice project.

These stories have then been compiled into books housed at the centre in Jerusalem.

Further, The Fed also observers religious festivals in the Jewish calendar, which often have intrinsics links with Jerusalem and Israel, as well as hosting events which support residents’ affinity with Israel throughout the year.