West London Synagogue
Encyclopedia
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was established on 15 April 1840. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom
and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK
.
after breaking away from the Bevis Marks congregation
in 1841. Its first location was a building in Burton Street, and David Woolf Marks
was its first minister. On 27 January 1842, the West London Synagogue of British Jews was consecrated, the name reflecting the unity now existing between Sephardi and Ashkenazi members and expressing the patriotism felt for Britain by its members.
By 1848, the building in Burton Street had become too small for the congregation. A new location was found, in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square
, at a cost of £5000, and it was consecrated on 25 January 1849.
From 1849 to 1867 the numbers of the congregation continued to rise, and a new location was required. Eventually, its current location in Upper Berkeley Street was found and was consecrated on 22 September 1870.
, Holocaust survivor and notable broadcaster, served as Assistant Minister at West London Synagogue from 1964 to 1968 and then as Senior Minister until his death in 1996. Now serving in the emeritus position of senior scholar, Mark Winer succeeded Gryn and served as senior Rabbi for twelve years, retiring in September 2010.
The current rabbinic team includes Rabbi Helen Freeman, Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers and Julia Neuberger, who was announced Senior Rabbi in February 2011. David Mitchell, currently serving at Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue, will join West London from 21st November.
in London
. The main sanctuary is built in the Byzantine
architectural style. The premises also contain offices, a library and various community facilities.
of the Movement for Reform Judaism
, which incorporate material from both Sephardi and Ashkenazi traditions. A choir and organ, located behind a screen to the rear of the dais
, accompany the congregation in all musical parts of the service except for the aleinu
and the kaddish
. The organ was renovated in 2007.
Men and women may sit together during services. Male worshippers are required to wear a kippah
; females can also wear one, but not required to do so.
Oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom
The designation oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom requires careful definition. A number of synagogues that predate the expulsion of the Jews from England have been discovered by archaeologists or by historians in buildings that have been in use for other purposes for many centuries...
and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK
Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)
Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....
.
History
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was formed by a group of families in west LondonWest London
West London generally refers to the western portions of London, and may refer specifically to:*West *West End of London*W postcode area...
after breaking away from the Bevis Marks congregation
Bevis Marks Synagogue
----Bevis Marks Synagogue is located off Bevis Marks, in the City of London. The synagogue, affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community, is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom still in use...
in 1841. Its first location was a building in Burton Street, and David Woolf Marks
David Woolf Marks
David Woolf Marks was an English rabbi of Reform Judaism. He served as professor of belles-lettres at Wigan College, Liverpool, first rabbi of the West London Synagogue of British Jews, and professor of Hebrew at University College London...
was its first minister. On 27 January 1842, the West London Synagogue of British Jews was consecrated, the name reflecting the unity now existing between Sephardi and Ashkenazi members and expressing the patriotism felt for Britain by its members.
By 1848, the building in Burton Street had become too small for the congregation. A new location was found, in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square is a public square in the West End of London, very close to Oxford Circus, where the two main shopping thoroughfares of Oxford Street and Regent Street meet. It is located at the eastern end of Wigmore Street, which connects it to Portman Square, part of the Portman Estate, to its...
, at a cost of £5000, and it was consecrated on 25 January 1849.
From 1849 to 1867 the numbers of the congregation continued to rise, and a new location was required. Eventually, its current location in Upper Berkeley Street was found and was consecrated on 22 September 1870.
Leadership
Rabbi Hugo GrynHugo Gryn
Hugo Gabriel Gryn was a British Reform rabbi who was a popular broadcaster and a leading voice in interfaith dialogue....
, Holocaust survivor and notable broadcaster, served as Assistant Minister at West London Synagogue from 1964 to 1968 and then as Senior Minister until his death in 1996. Now serving in the emeritus position of senior scholar, Mark Winer succeeded Gryn and served as senior Rabbi for twelve years, retiring in September 2010.
The current rabbinic team includes Rabbi Helen Freeman, Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers and Julia Neuberger, who was announced Senior Rabbi in February 2011. David Mitchell, currently serving at Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue, will join West London from 21st November.
Building
The current building, dating from 1870, is located near Marble ArchMarble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The main sanctuary is built in the Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
architectural style. The premises also contain offices, a library and various community facilities.
Customs and ritual
Services at West London synagogue follow the prayer booksSiddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
of the Movement for Reform Judaism
Movement for Reform Judaism
Movement for Reform Judaism is the main organizational body of the Jewish Reform community in Great Britain....
, which incorporate material from both Sephardi and Ashkenazi traditions. A choir and organ, located behind a screen to the rear of the dais
Bimah
A bimah A bimah A bimah (among Ashkenazim, derived from Hebrew בּמה , almemar (from Arabic al-minbar) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve the place where the person reading aloud from the Torah stands during the Torah reading...
, accompany the congregation in all musical parts of the service except for the aleinu
Aleinu
Aleinu or Aleinu leshabei'ach , meaning "it is upon us or it is our obligation or duty to praise God," is a Jewish prayer found in the siddur, the classical Jewish prayerbook. It is recited at the end of each of the three daily Jewish services...
and the kaddish
Kaddish
Kaddish is a prayer found in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy different versions of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between sections of the service...
. The organ was renovated in 2007.
Men and women may sit together during services. Male worshippers are required to wear a kippah
Kippah
A kippah or kipa , also known as a yarmulke , kapele , is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women...
; females can also wear one, but not required to do so.