Borough Synagogue

Name:

Borough Synagogue

Former Name:

Borough New Synagogue (from 1823 to about 1927)

Address:

Communal Hall, Wansey Street, Walworth, London S.E.17 (from end of 1940's)

Wansey Street (the Surrey Taberacle), Walworth, London S.E.17 (from 1927)

Heygate Street (Vowler Street), Walworth Road, London S.E.17 (1867 to 1927)

Prior to then, there had, at times, been two rival congregations:
(1) at Prospect Place, St George's Road, Southwark  (1823 to 1867); and
(2) a synagogue built in the yard of the house of Mr. Nathan Henry at 2 Market Street, Newington Causeway, from about 1800 to 1853, from which the Prospect Place congregation seceded.

Date Formed:

Congregation was founded in about 1800.⁽ⁱ⁾

Current Status:

Closed, amalgamated with Brixton Synagogue in 1961

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

A constituent synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1873 until its closure. It was the first additional synagogue to be admitted to the United Synagogue, following the formation of the United Synagogue by its original five initial members.

Selected Ministers:

Revd. Simeon Singer⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ - from 1867 until 1878⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Rabbi Francis Lyon Cohen - from 1886 until 1904^(iv)

Revd. Morris Rosenbaum - from 1905 until 1935^(v)

Revd. M. Bloch -from 1935 until at least 1938^(vi)

Revd. Dr. Ernest I. Grunpeter -from at least 1946 until at least 1951^(vii)

Membership Data:

Number of male seat-holders^(viii):

Local Government Districts:

Part of Southwark is generally referred to as "The Borough", taking its name from the ancient Borough of Southwark, situated in central London on the southern bank of the river Thames. The synagogue was actually situated in Walworth, an area just to the south the Borough.  These localities are now in London Borough of Southwark, and was previously (from 1900 until 1965) in the somewhat smaller former Metropolitan Borough of Southwark.^(ix) Prior thereto, Southwark was divided into various civil parishes, within the County of Surrey until 1899.

Registration District (BDM):

Southwark^(x) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

For United Synagogue cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) The Lost Synagogues of London, by P. Renton, 2000 (Tymsder Publications, London)  p 196. ↵

• (ii) Revd. Singer, the first editor of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book (siddur), published 1890, which bears his name, was in fact a rabbi, having received ordination (smicha) in Vienna. However, at the time in Britain only the Chief Rabbi was was allowed to use the title "Rabbi". . ↵

• (iii) The Lost Synagogues of London, by P. Renton, 2000, p.68. ↵

• (iv) Date of appointment per Jewish Year Book, 1896, p 96. He left left Borough Synagogue for Sydney, Australia in 1904 (The Lost Synagogues of London, by P. Renton, 2000, p.69). ↵

• (v) The Lost Synagogues of London, by P. Renton, 2000 , p.69. ↵

• (vi) Based on listings in Jewish Year Books from 1936 until al least 1939 (and may have appeared in later editions). ↵Al

• (vii) Based on listings in Jewish Year Books from at least 1947 until at least 1952 (and may have appeared in earlier and/or later editions). ↵Al

• (viii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by A. Newman (1977), pp.216/7. ↵

• (ix) The London Borough of Southwark, an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Southwark, Bermondsey and Camberwell (all established in 1900). These areas had been within the (then abolished) County of London (established in 1899). ↵

• (x) The former Registration District was St Saviour Southwark, from 1 July 1837 until 1 April 1901. All registers would now be held by current register office. ↵