Peterborough Hebrew Congregation

Name:

Peterborough Hebrew Congregation⁽ⁱ⁾

(alternative name Peterborough Affiliated Synagogue)

developed from Peterborough United Synagogue Membership Group⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Address:

The congregation's address from 1954 was 142 Cobden Avenue, Peterborough, PE1 2NU.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
The synagogue was opened by the president, Charles Shaw, and consecrated by Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie on 28 November 1954 (see image of plaque below).

In 2011, the congregation vacated these premises, which were to be sold, and commenced holding services in a rented room at a local church.^(iv)

Previous Addresses:

The congregation (including the Membership Group) previously met in Westgate Congregational Church Hall, Westgate, although at times, in at least the late 1940s, it met at 12 Queen's Gardens, Peterborough,^(v) the home of Charles Shaw, the president of the congregation.^(vi)

Current Status:

Active

Formation:

In November 1940, an appeal was made to parents of Jewish children evacuated to villages around Peterborough with a view to making provision for their children's religious education and, at the same time, an appeal was made to Jewish residents in and around Peterborough who might be interested in forming a congregation and Jewish centre, with regular services to commence in the summer of 1941.^(vii) Regular Sabbath morning services commenced in July 1941.^(viii)

The Peterborough Jewish Institute was established in May 1941 to provide entertainment and other facilities to servicemen and Jewish residents and raise funds for charitable causes. It also organised religious services that year and next. In 1943 a United Synagogue Membership Group was formed to take over the running of religious services from the Jewish Institute which retained its charitable and social activities.^(ix) However, the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 gives the year of founding as 1940.

Ritual:

Orthodox - Ashkenazi

Affiliation:

A United Synagogue Membership Group from 1943,^(x) the congregation became an affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogue in 1948^(xi)

Minister:
To view a short profile of a minister - hold the cursor over his name.

Rev. Beruch Ben-Zion Greenberg - minister and secretary from about 1940 to 1945.^(xiii)

Rabbi Cyril I. Shine - minister in and about 1945.^(xiv)

Lay Officers:

Unless otherwise stated, the data below has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, which were not published during the war years 1940-1945.^(xv)

Hon. President

1948-at least 1956 - Charles Shaw

Presidents

1947-1948 - Charles Shaw

1948-1951 - M. Bindler

Vice President

1950-1951 - J. Pearlson

Financial Representative

1943 - S. Walters^(xvi)

Treasurers

1945-1946 - A. Walters

1947-1948 - M. Bindler

1948-1950 - M. Rose

1950-1952 - L. Kammer

1952-at least 1956 - M. Green

Wardens

1943 - M. A. Marcus & L. Stechler^(xvi)

1945-1946 - Charles Shaw & L. Stechler

1947-1950 - L. Stechler

1951-at least 1956 - M. Bindler & J. Pearlson^(xvii)

1973-1977 - C. Conn

Hon Secretaries

1947-1948 - H.H. Thomas

1948-1952 - A. Levy

1952-1960 - A. Bindler

1960-1970 - Dr. B.B. Stein

1970-1971 - A. Coran

1972-1973 - L. Kammer

1977-1980 - C. David

1980-1981 - C. Conn

1981-1983 - A.J. Corran

1983-1995 - R. Dan

1995-2001 - C. Conn

Membership Data:

Male Seatholders^(xx)

1948	1950	1960	1970
25	28	22	23

Reports & Surveys^(xxi)

1977 - 18 male (or household) members and 2 female members

1983 - 20 male (or household) members and 5 female members

1990 - 27 members (comprising 17 households and 10 individual female members)

1996 - 19 households members

2010 and 2016 - listed as having under 50 members (by household)

Other Reports

2011 - 8 members^(xxii)