It came from the Jewish Leadership Council's Commission on Jewish Schools.

But Rabbi Jason Kleiman of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue has slammed Leeds' lay leadership for their "apathy on the issue" of a proposed Leeds Jewish high school.

The LJC report, chaired by Leodensian Professor Leslie Wagner, recommends that "King David High School in Manchester and the Leeds Jewish community consider favourably the establishment of a formal relationship that recognises King David High School as the secondary school for Leeds Jewish children".

It adds: "Such a relationship could provide for representation of the Leeds community on the King David High School board of governors, positive marketing of the school in Leeds and some financial support for travelling costs."

The report refers to the recent call for Leeds to have its own Jewish high school, but claims that the last attempt to establish such a school more than 10 years ago "failed to generate sufficient Jewish numbers to make it viable and the position has not improved since".

It continues: "We applaud the desire of the leadership in Leeds for Jewish schooling, but we believe that in reality this can best be provided through a close link with King David High School in Manchester.

"We are impressed that so many parents and pupils have made the commitment, which involves significant travel time and costs. At present Leeds parents do not receive any financial help for this.

"A closer and more formal relationship between the school and the Leeds Jewish community might offer a range of possibilities for providing support and further development."

Prof Wagner told the Jewish Telegraph that the Manchester link would be "the right move for both Leeds and Manchester".

KDH chairman of governors Joshua Rowe laid claim to the recommendation.

He said that the 60 Leeds children, presently attending KD were "all doing brilliantly".

He said: "They are an excellent body of children."

He urged the Leeds community that instead of spending millions of pounds on their own school, they should subsidise the coach bringing the children daily over the Pennines.

He said that the travelling costs, currently subsidised by KD, would amount to less than £30,000 per annum.

He offered to come to Leeds to address the Rep Council on the matter.

Rep Council president Sue Dorsey said that the council would discuss the matter with Mr Rowe.

She said: "As someone who was closely involved with Brodetsky/Morris Silman for more than 15 years, as parent PTA chair and governor, I know how valuable Jewish schooling is."

She added: "Sadly, over the last three decades, we have failed to establish a state-maintained, fully Jewish high school, in spite of tremendous efforts.

"As the report states the current situation is that there is no sign of such a school becoming a reality, either now or in the foreseeable future.

"A substantial and increasing number of pupils are now travelling to King David in Manchester. It must be in the interests of those children for their parents to follow up the recommendation and come to the community with their thoughts and feelings."

She concluded: "At present King David is the only option for Jewish secondary education in the vicinity. We must seriously consider giving our active support to those who wish to avail themselves of this facility."

However, Rabbi Kleiman, who recently called on the Leeds lay leadership to review the feasibility of a Leeds Jewish high school, denied that the position had "not improved".

He said: "We cannot prove that the situation has not improved over the 15 years since the last high school steering committee investigation.

"The lay leadership did not respond to my call three months ago on the request of many parents to revisit the issue."

Rabbi Kleiman said that it was not a matter of community numbers but of the number of parents wanting a Jewish secondary school education for their children.

He said: "More than a decade ago there were not 60 Leeds children going to a secondary Jewish school. Then it was only a handful of frum parents who sent their children to Manchester.

"Now non-frum parents are opting for Jewish education because they want their children to mix with other Jews."

He added: "There are certainly many parents, in addition to those who send their kids to Manchester, who want their kids to go to a Jewish high school but don't want to send their children over the Pennines every day.

"The fact that the lay leadership in Leeds has done nothing to assess this situation does not mean it does not exist."

He recognised that the report's recommendation was the "final death-knell" for the possibility of a Leeds Jewish high school and said: "The Manchester option is the only way forward in the face of the apathy and short-sightedness of the lay leadership of Leeds Jewry."

He added: "It was comfortable for the lay leadership to make up its mind on the issue without re-investigating the viability of a Leeds school."