Chairman Ian Turner explained: "We hope that Hazak Ve Amats will help to develop the community, aiming at the youth whom we want to be solid citizens, proud to be Jewish and able to face the world."

Mr Turner hoped that besides endowing youngsters with the physical skills of martial arts, Hazak Ve Amats would also inculcate spiritual strength through rabbinical guidance.

Secretary Bernard Chernick added: "The Liverpool community is decreasing. But other small communities like Gibraltar still have life."

The aim of Hazak Ve Amats, he said, was to enable Jewish youth, as well as their non-Jewish friends at King David Schools and Harold House, to improve their self esteem and confidence by being able to stand up to antisemitism through martial arts skills.

These would be transmitted by highly qualified instructors in the new martial arts hall, which had been refurbished to the tune of more than £10,000.

He also hoped that rabbinic input would also improve the community spirit.

At the launch, more than 100 guests of all ages watched karate instructor Ronnie Colwell introduce displays of karate, jujitsu, sword fighting, stick fighting and boxing.

Guest speaker student chaplain Rabbi YY Rubinstein revealed that after having become a skilled fighter while growing up in Glasgow, when he was studying at Gateshead Yeshiva he had knocked out a skinhead who had hurled antisemitic abuse at him.

He urged youngsters to stand up and be proud of being Jewish and of the State of Israel, bemoaning the fact that a recent survey had revealed that half of American Jews aged 18-35 would not consider the destruction of Israel "a personal tragedy".

He said: "They have lost so much pride in being Jewish that they could envisage another Holocaust."

The meeting was introduced by Paul Rosenblatt.

Guests were welcomed by Sam Beilin and thanks were given by Ian Turner.