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JCR-UK is a genealogical
and historical website covering all Jewish communities and congregations
throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.
The Town of Letchworth
Letchworth, officially called Letchworth Garden City, is a town in Hertfordshire in southeast England.
It was founded as a new town in 1903, and is considered the world's first Garden City. Letchworth was an
urban district until 1974, when it was merged with adjoining areas to form the North Hertfordshire District,
a local government district within the county of Hertfordshire. The population of the town is approximately 33,000.
The Letchworth Jewish Community
Although there are records of Jews taking up
residence in Letchworth during World War I, at the time no formal community
appears to have been established. The formal Jewish community in Letchworth
dates from 1939 and it was almost unique among those communities formed during World War II by Jewish
families relocating from heavily populated areas to escape the German air raids, in that the community was almost exclusively orthodox. The Letchworth
Jewish community had the infrastructure that normally accompanied much larger communities, such as a kosher butcher, mikva, Talmud Torah, yeshiva, etc.
There was also a number of smaller neighbouring evacuee
communities, including Hitchin
(the location of the local hospital, in which many of the children of members of
the Letchworth community were born)
and Biggleswade and Shefford,
that could be considered to have been part of the greater Letchworth community.
According to Yanky Fachler in Jewish Letchworth - A Microcosm of the Jewish
Communal Experience(ii) (which we refer to here as "Yanky Fachler") the
evolution of the Letchworth Jewish community can be divided into three distinct periods.
The first period covers the
establishment of the community at the beginning of World War II
and ending with the return of the bulk of the evacuees to London
in 1945 following the cessation of hostilities; the second
period covers the interval to 1958 when the centres of gravity
was spread between two localities, primarily in Hallmead and Sollershott
East; and the final period, with the remnants of the community
centred in Sollershott East, ended with the demise of the community in
1972.(iii)
Congregation Data
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Name:
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Letchworth Hebrew Congregation
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Hebrew Name:
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Kahal Adass Yeshurun, adopted 1944(iv)
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Formation:
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There are records of Jews
settling in Letchworth during
World War I, although no formal congregation appears to
have been established.(v)
The origins of the community lay with Abba Bornstein,
a real property developer and a prominent member of
Hapoel Hamizrachi, who in in 1939 built two parallel
rows of streets, Hallmead and Mullway, in a working-class
area of Letchworth. Known as the Aborn Estate, the
development consisted of about 300 small terraced
houses, many of which were still unoccupied at the
outbreak of the war. Word spread fast among Bornstein's
friends and associates and, with the need to escape the
London Blitz, a wave of, mostly Orthodox, Jews, primarily
the East End and Stamford Hill, evacuated
London to Letchworth, initially to take up residence on the
Aborn Estate.(viii)
Although regular services were held, concurrently in at
least three separate locations,(ix) and there was extensive
communal and educational activities from 1939,(x) the
Hebrew Congregation was not formally constituted until
10 November 1940, when general meeting was held at the
Howard Hall.(xi)
Following a schism which developed in the community in
1941 (see Rival Congregation below),
the congregation was reconstituted in February 1944 when the
two congregations were reunited, maintaining the name Letchworth Hebrew
Congregation, but with the adoption of an alternative
Hebrew name, Kahal Adass Yeshurun.(xii)
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Addresses and Places of Worship:
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Almost from the birth of the community,(xv)
services were held concurrantly at different synagogues
or other places of worship, all of which remained part of
the Letchworth Hebrew Congregation(xvi) (apart from the
short-lived Yeshurun congregation - see
below), although Rabbi
Sassoon's Sephardi minyan would operate independently
until 1957, see below.
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40 Hallmead,(xvii)
Aborn Estate, Letchworth.
This coulld be considered the principal synagogue of the congregation,
in use from
1939(xviii) until
1958.(xix) It was later expanded to include 38 Hallmead,
and later also housed the Letchworth Yeshiva(xxii) (see
below).
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Howard Hall
(or the adjoining Girls Club(xxiii)),
Norton Way South, Letchworth, probably from at least 1940 until
about 1945.(xxiv)
The services here have been referred to as
"United Synagogue style".(xxv)
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51 Bedford Road,
Letchworth, in and about 1942.(xxvi)
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Various addresses in Mullway, Aborn Estate,
Letchworth, including 52 Mullway (in and about
1942)(xxix) and 62 Mullway (at least 1945 to about
1949),(xxx) as
well as 42 Mullway, which was probably a private home,
at which daily services were held in and about 1942.(xxxi)
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"Chilliswood", The Broadway,
Letchworth, probably a private home, at which daily services were
held in and about 1942.(xxxii)
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22a East Cheap, Letchworth, address in about 1945.(xxxiii)
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Simmon's Hall, Station
Place, Letchworth, from at least 1945 until about
1948,(xxxvi)
when it moved to the Scouts Hall, Ichnield Way,
Letchworth,
functioning there until
about 1952.(xxxvii)
The community (apart from the Sephardi minyan) would also joined together for the High holidays
in Scouts Hall.(xxxviii)
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15/17 Sollershott East, Letchworth. This was the home of
Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon,
which included a small synagogue or beit
hamedrash in which separate Sephardi (Baghdadi)
services were held daily from 1940 to 1957.(xxxix)
In 1957, when the synagogue in Hallmead closed, this
became the sole synagogue of the
Hebrew Congregation, following basic Sephardi rites but with
allowances to take into account the Askenazi
congregants. The service on Sabbath morning would
always be followed with kiddush at 37 Sollershott (the
home of Eli and Chava Fachler).(xl)
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After the Sassoon family
left in 1970, services were held at the home of Rabbi Yossel Schischa.
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Closure:
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The community continued to
shrink throughout the 1960s and following the
departure of the Sassoon and Feuchtwanger families for
Israel in 1970, and Fachler family in 1971 it became
almost impossible to get a Sabbath minyan, the
congregation and community effectively ceased to exist in 1972.(xliii)
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Ritual:
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Ashkenazi Orthodox, with
separate Sephardi minyan until 1957, when both minyanim
combined, and the congregation thereafter following the basic Sephardi
(Baghdadi) rites but with allowances to take into account the Askenazi congregants.
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Affiliation:
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Affiliated to the
Federation
of Synagogues(xliv)
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Communal Rabbis: (To view a short profile
of a rabbi or other religious leader whose name appears in blue - hold
the cursor over the name.)
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Rabbi Dr Isadore Epstein
- from at least 1940 until 1943(xlvii)
Rabbi Joseph Jonah Horowitz
- from 1944 until 1950(xlviii)
Rabbi Asher (Oosher) Feuchtwanger
- from 1950 until 1970(xlix)
Rabbi Yossel Schischa
- from 1970 to 1972(l)
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Reader:
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Rev. Shloime Stern - reader from about 1951
until about 1955(li)
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Rival Congregation:
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In September 1941, a split
developed in the community. A number of the mainly
Yiddish speaking members of the congregation were of the opinion that Rabbi Dr. Epstein, a world
famous English language Hebrew scholar, was somehow
"too English" and thus not religious enough for them.
They formed the
breakaway Yeshurun Congregation,
which held its first services at Station Place (above
Simmons Estate Agents).(liv)
Rabbi Joseph Jonah Horowitz served as
rav of the congregation from 1941 until 1944.(lv)
Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson
(the Zhlobiner Rav) was the
rosh hakohol (roughly equivalent to president) of the
congregation from 1941
to 1944.(lvi)
The lay officers were D. Lichtig (chairman),
I. Schab (vice chairman), S.
Hanstater (treasurer), and Sol Cohen
and A. Winegarten (hon. secretaries).(lvii)
The breakaway congregation
established its own Talmud Torah and Ladies Guild.(lviii)
Following the return of Rabbi
Dr. Epstein to London in late 1943, the break was
healed and the two congregations reunited in February 1944
under the name Letchworth Hebrew Congregation, but with
an alternative Hebrew name, Kahal Adass Yeshurun.(lix)
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Officers:
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Presidents
From 1939
- Abba Bornstein(lxiii)
1942 - Rabbi Dr Isadore Epstein(lxiv)
1944-1950 - Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson(lxv)
1960s - Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon(lxvi)
Chairmen
1940 - Rabbi Dr Isadore Epstein(lxix)
1942
- H.M. Lunzer(lxx)
1944 - Yankel Hollander(lxxi)
1945-1946- Abba Bornstein(lxxii)
1946-1951- Yankel Hollander(lxxiii)
Treasurers(lxxvi)
1939-1940
- A. Reis 1940-1942
- Kiva Kornbluth(lxxvii) 1945-1946
- H. Grodzinski & S. Hanstater
1946-1947
- Charles Friedman & S. Hanstater
1947-1948
- Charles Friedman & S. Stern
1948-1952
- Sali Bornstein & S. Stern
1952-1956
- Sali Bornstein
1956-1970
- no data
1970-1971
- Eli Fachler
1971-1973
- S.P. Kirsch
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Vice Chairmen(lxxvi)
Appointed 1940(lxxx)
- Sali Borstein,
L.M. Lunzer
J. Stern
1946-1947 - J. Freudmann
1947-1948 - L. Grahame
1949-1951 - Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon
Wardens(lxxvi)
1939-1940 - E. Halevy & M. Persoff
Secretaries & Hon. Secretaries(lxxvi)
1939-1940
- N. Redmond
1940-1946
- Joe Richman(lxxxi)
1944-1950 - Dr B. Heineman(lxxxii)
1950-1951 - M.H. Cohen
1951-1959 - Oscar Pressberger 1960-1961 - Walter Gottfried
1961-1963 - Lawrence Hack
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The following are known to have
served as officers of specific synagogues of the
congregation:(lxxxv)
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Hallmead Synagogue
Sali Bornstein - Warden 1940-1947(lxxxvi)
N. Dachs - Joint Warden 1946-1949
S. Cohen - Joint Warden 1947-1949
Girls Club / Howard Hall Synagogue
H.M. Lunzer - Warden 1940-1946(lxxxvii)
62 Mullway Synagogue
J. Stern - appointed 1940(lxxxviii)
S. Stern - Warden 1945-1946
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Simmon's Hall Synagogue
(later the Scout Hall) (JYB)
A. Gosschalk - Warden 1945-1946
L. Grahame - Joint Warden
1946-1947
Charles Friedman - Joint Warden
1946-1949
M. Charles Grunbaum - Joint Warden
1948-1949
Joe Richman - Hon. Minister and Lay
Reader 1946-1948 |
Other Rabbinical Figures
who lived or evacuated to
Letchworth:(xci)
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For officers and teaching staff
at the Talmud Torah and Letchworth Yeshiva, see
below.
Dayan Yehezkel Abramsky, head
of the London Beth Din
Rabbi Baumgarten, the community's mohel
Rabbi Isidor
(Isi) Broch also taught at Talmud Torah
Rabbi
Eliezer Dessler, private tutor in Letchworth
Rabbi Norman Kass - private tutor in Letchworth
Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (Reb Elyah),
and his family, including:
Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, his son-in-law
Rabbi Barney Klein,
his son in law, also taught at Talmud Torah
Rabbi Benzion Lapian
Rabbi Chaim Shmuel Lopian
Rabbi Simcha Zissel Lopian
Rabbi Leo Munk
Rabbi Nosson Ordman
Rev. Lewis Rosenberg, also taught
at Talmud Torah
Letchworth children who became
rabbis include:
Rabbi Ralph (Refoel) Berisch
Rabbi Chaim Fachler
Rabbi Mordechai Fachler
Rabbi Yossi Fachler
Rabbi Jacob Aryeh Feuchtwanger
Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz
Rabbi Dodi Gurwicz
Rabbi Boruch Hammer
Dayan David Kaplan
Rabbi Danny Kirsch
Rabbi Jonathan Kirsch
Rabbi Dovid Ordman
Rabbi David Sassoon, also
taught at Talmud Torah
Hacham Dr. Isaac (Haki) S.D. Sassoon
Rabbi Moshe Schwah
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Membership Data:
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Number of Members(xcii)
1940 |
1941 |
1941 |
1942 |
1946 |
1948 |
50 |
90 |
150 |
170 |
85 |
75 |
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Cemetery Data:
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There is no Jewish Cemetery in Letchworth
See Cemeteries of the
Federation of Synagogues |
Online Articles and Other
Material relating to the Letchworth Jewish Community
on JCR-UK
on Third Party websites
Other Notable Jewish Connections with Letchworth
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Efraim Halevy (b. 1934),
Israeli intelligence expert and diplomat who served
as director of the Mossad (1998-2002) and the head of the Israeli National Security Council
(2002-2003), was a evacuee with his family in
Letchworth during World War II
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The Sassoon Library, one of the
largest private collection of rare Jewish books and
manuscripts, was situated at 15 Sollershott,
Letchworth, from 1940, when its owner David Solomon Sassoon
(1880-1942) evacuated from London, until 1970, when the Sassoon
family moved to Israel and much of the library was
auctioned off to pay death duties.
The collection included the Sassoon Codex, the most complete copy of the Hebrew bible, which
was re-sold at auction in 2023 for $38 million, as
well as the famous Farhi bible and
other priceless manuscripts.
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Other Letchworth Jewish Institutions & Organisations
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Educational & Theological
Rabbi Norman Solomon -
headmaster
Reb Nachman
Rabbi Elozor Wahrhaftig
Dr. I. Weinstock
Rabbi M. Bloom - headmaster in
1961
Rev. Harry Leitner - headmaster
in the 1960s
Mrs Rand - headmistress
Miss Mimy Portal - headmistress
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Letchworth Yeshiva
- A small yeshiva was established at 38/40 Hallmead in 1951, following the closure of the Staines Yeshiva,
which relocated to Letchworth.(cii)
It closed in 1957.(ciii)
Officers and Staff of the Yeshiva:(civ)
President
- Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon
Principal
- Rabbi Asher (Oosher) Feuchtwanger
Dean
- Rabbi Yitzchok (Reb. Itche) Aussenberg
Tutor
- Rabbi Simcha Freudiger
Tutor
- Rabbi Yankel Benedict
Alumni of the Letchworth
Yeshiva include:(cv)
Rabbi Benzion Berkovitz
Rabbi Pinchas (Pinny) Breuer
Rabbi Sinai Halberstam of the
Sanz dynasty
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Refugee Yeshiva
- In 1956, following the Anti-Soviet Hungarian
Uprising, a group of 9 young religious Jewish
Hungarian refugees were housed in Letchworth in what
became a yeshiva. After a relatively short period
they were sent on to the United States.(cxxi)
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Communal & Religious
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Mikveh, situated at 2 Cross Street,
- consecrated in November 1940.(cxxii)
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Letchworth Ladies Guild
- founded 1939.(cxxiii)
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Chevra Kaddisha
- founded 1940.(cxxiv)
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Shechita Committee
- founded 1940/(cxxv)
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Social & Political
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Jewish Social Society
- founded 1942.(cxxviii)
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Jewish Youth Club
- founded by Rabbi Norman Solomon.(cxxix)
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Mizrachi Society
- founded by 1945(cxxx)
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Agudas Yisrael
- founded by 1948(cxxxi)
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Records: |
Registration District (BMD): |
Hertfordshire (since 1 April 2008)
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Previous Registration District:
Hitchin (from 1 July 1837 to 1 March 1996);
Hitchin & Stevenage (from 1 March 1996 to 1 April 2008)
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All records would now be held by current office.
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Link to Register Office website
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Letchworth Jewish Population Data
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Year
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Number |
Source |
1941
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1,500 (est.) |
Yanky Fachler, p234 |
1951
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150 |
The Jewish Year Book
1952 |
1953
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200 |
The Jewish Year Book
1954 |
1954
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250 |
The Jewish Year Book
1955 |
1964
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100 |
The Jewish Year Book
1965 |
1973
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18 |
The Jewish Year Book
1974 |
Notes & Sources
(↵
returns to text above)
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World War II Evacuee Communities
Jewish Congregations in Hertfordshire
Jewish Communities of England homepage
Page created: 2 February 2006
All Letchworth pages consolidation: 22 August 2023 Data significantly expanded and notes added: 23 August 2023
Page most recently amended: 20 September 2024
Research and
formatting by David Shulman
Explanation of Terms |
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