the former

Bayswater & Maida Vale Synagogue

(formerly Bayswater Synagogue)

London W2 & W9

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Bayswater Synagogue, 1938

Congregation Data

Name:

Bayswater Synagogue
(known as Bayswater & Maida Vale Synagogue from about 1972⁽ⁱ⁾)

Address:

Andover Place / Kilburn Park Road, Maida Vale, London W2, from 1967 to 1984 (when building became Jewish Preparatory School and, later, part of building became the Saatchi Synagogue)

Previous Addresses:

From 1965 to about 1967, services were held temporarily at 2 Ashworth Road, London W9;⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

From 1863 to 1965, the synagogue was at Chichester Place, Harrow Road, London W2.
The building was designed by architects Nathan Solomon Joseph, FRIBA and Edward Salomons.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ The foundation stone was laid 10 July 1862 by the Chief Rabbi Dr. Nathan M. Adler, the building being consecrated by him on 30 July 1863.^(iv)

The building was ultimately acquired by the Greater London Council and demolished to make way for a motorway development^(v).

Date Founded:

Formed in 1863, initially (until 1870) as a branch synagogue jointly of the Great Synagogue and the New Synagogue. For additional information, see "the Story of the Synagogue".

Current Status:

Closed 1984

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

One of the original five synagogues that formed the United Synagogue in 1870, of which it remained a constituent member until its closure.

Ministers:

(To view a short profile of a minister or reader - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rev. Dr. Hermann Adler - from 1864 until 1891^(ix)

Rabbi Prof. Sir Hermann Gollancz - from 1892 until 1922^(x)

Rabbi Dayan Mark Gollop, B.A. - from 1923 until 1930^(xi)

Rev. Walter Levin - from 1930 until 1938^(xii)

Rev. Isaac Levy - from 1938 until 1939 (leaving for army chaplain service)^(xiii)

(Rev. Sidney Black - temporary minister from 1940 until 1946^(xiv))

Rev. Arthur Saul Super - from 1947 until 1950^(xvii)

Rev. Sidney Gold - from about 1950 until 1960^(xviii)

Rabbi Raymond Apple - from about 1962 until about 1965^(xix)

Rabbi Ephraim-Levy Gastwirth - from 1973 until 1975^(xx)

Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Rabinowitz B.A. - from April to May 1976^(xxi)

Rabbi Moshe Barron - from about 1977 until about 1984^(xxii)

Readers / Cantors (Chazanim):

First (or only) Readers

Rev. Isaac Samuel - 1864 to 1914^(xxiv)

Rev. David Klein - c.1915 to 1934^(xxvi)
(previously second reader)

Rev. Leo Bryll - 1935 to 1955^(xxxiii)

Rev. Abraham Lubin - 1957 to 1958^(xxxiv)

Rev. M. J. Dubiner - c.1963 to c.1967^(xxxv)

Rev. David Katanka - 1972 to 1975^(xxxvi)

Second Readers

Rev. Raphael Harris - 1863 to 1910^(xxv)

Rev. David Klein - 1910 to c.1915^(xxvi)
(subsequently first reader)

Rev. Arthur Barnett - c.1914 to c.1918^(xxvii)

Rev. Ephraim Moses Levy - c.1918 to c.1919^(xxviii)

Rev. Asher Littenberg - c.1919 to c.1923^(xxix)

Officers:

See List of Wardens of the Synagogue from 1864 through 1956.^(xl)

See List of the Congregation's Financial Representatives and Secretaries.

Membership Data:

List of Original Seatholders of the Synagogue (including addresses)^(xli)

Number of male seat-holders:^(xlii)

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

359

318

377

365

306

366

338

293

406

419

191

National Reports & Surveys^(xliii)

1977 - 204 male members and 203 female members

1983 - 177 male members and 173 female members

Also see below for seatholder records on All-UK Database.

Local Government District:

Bayswater is an area of central London lying to the north of Hyde Park. All the above addresses for the Bayswater Synagogue are in the current City of Westminster and were (from 1900 to 1965) in the former Metropolitan Borough of Paddington. Prior thereto, Paddington was solely a civil parish.^(xliv)

Cemetery Information:

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

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) New name first appeared in Jewish Year Book 1973. ↵

(ii) Jewish Year Books for the relevant period. ↵

(iii) Carol Herselle Krinsky - Synagogues of Europe - Architecture, History, Meaning, 1996, Appendix I, p. 430. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by N.S. Joseph and E, Salomons, hold your cursor over their respective names. ↵

(iv) Jewish Year Book 1911, p.25. The building was erected on a freehold site at a cost, including subsequent alterations in 1867, of £15,611. ↵

(v) The Lost Synagogues of London ("Lost Synagogues") by Peter Renton, 2000, p.80. ↵

(vi) to (viii) Reserved.

(ix) British Chief Rabbis 1664-2006 by Derek Taylor pp.311-332. The initial title given to Rev. (later Chief Rabbi) H. Adler at Bayswater was the congregation's "lecturer" or "preacher". ↵

(x) Rabbi Gollancz was listed in Jewish Year Books as minister of the congregation (until 1902/3 edition), as "preacher" (1903/4 through 1915), as first preacher (1916 through 1923) and subsequently as emeritus (in 1930). See also reference to Rabbi Gollancz in the "Short History of the Synagogue". ↵

(xi) Based upon Dayan Gollop's listing in Jewish Year Books as preacher and reader of the congregation (in 1924) and as minister (1925 through 1930). ↵

(xii) Reference to Rev. Levin in The Bayswater Synagogue 1863-1938 Origin and History, (issued by the Congregation (1938), reproduced on JCR-UK). Rev. Levin, who was also listed in Jewish Year Books as secretary of the congregation, was also hon. president of the Becontree & District Associate Synagogue during the 1930s ↵

(xiii) Obituary in The Guardian, 18 May 2005. Although Rev. Levy was still shown as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1945/46 (the first to be published following WWII), it is uncertain as to whether he actually returned as minister of the congregation after his army service, although he may have remained nominal minister of the congregation. In the same Jewish Year Book, Rev. S. Black (see below) is shown as the temporary minister. ↵

(xiv) Based upon Rev. Black's Jewish Year Book Who's Who entries. He was listed as temporary minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1945/6, the first to be published since 1940. There were no ministers listed for the congregation in the 1947 edition. ↵

(xv) and (xvi) Reserved.

(xvii) Based upon Rev. Super's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1950. ↵

(xviii) Based upon Rev. Gold's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1951 through 1960. There were no ministers listed for the congregation in the editions for 1961 and 1962. ↵

(xix) Based upon Rev. Apple's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1963 through 1965. There were no ministers listed for the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1966 through 1974. ↵

(xx) Based upon Rabbi Gastwirth's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1975 and 1976 and his Jewish Year Book Who's Who entry. There was no minister listed for the congregation in the 1977 edition. ↵

(xxi) Information provided by a family member. Rabbi Rabinowitz had already retired, when he reluctantly agreed to accept the post of minister of this congregation. Shortly after taking the position, he made three suggestions for improving the services, which were all rejected, whereupon he resigned, giving one months notice and returned to his home in Gatley. ↵

(xxii) Based upon Rabbi Barron's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1978 through 1984. ↵

(xxiii) Reserved.

(xxiv) Reference to Rev. Samuels in The Story of Bayswater Synagogue by C. Roth. In Jewish Year Books from 1903/4 through 1911, both he and Rev. Harris are described as "minister", presumably as the description of Rabbi Gollancz had been changed to "preacher". ↵

(xxv) Reference to Rev. Harris in The Story of Bayswater Synagogue by C. Roth. Rev. Harris (died 1911) was also secretary of the congregation. In Jewish Year Books commencing from the 1903/4 edition, both he and Rev. Samuels are described as "minister", presumably as the description of Rabbi Gollancz had been changed to "preacher". ↵

(xxvi) Rev. Klein was also secretary of the congregation. Reference to Rev. Klein in The Story of Bayswater Synagogue by C. Roth and Rev Klein's listing as second reader and secretary in Jewish Year Book 1911 through 1914 and as first reader and secretary in Jewish Year Book 1915 through 1934. There were no readers listed in the 1935 edition. ↵

(xxvii) Based upon Rev. Barnett's listing as second reader in Jewish Year Books 1915 through 1918. ↵

(xxviii) Based upon Rev. Levy's listing as second reader in Jewish Year Book 1919. ↵

(xxix) Based upon Rev. Littenberg's listing as second reader in Jewish Year Books 1920 through 1923. There were no subsequent listings of second reader. ↵

(xxx) to (xxxii) Reserved.

(xxxiii) Based upon Rev. Bryll's listing as reader in Jewish Year Books 1936 through 1955. There were no readers listed in the editions for 1956 and 1957. ↵

(xxxiv) Based upon Rev. Lubin's listing as reader in Jewish Year Book 1958 and online research. There were no readers listed in the editions for 1959 through 1963. ↵

(xxxv) Based upon Rev. Dubiner's listing as cantor of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1964 through 1967. ↵

(xxxvi) Based upon Rev. (later Rabbi) Katanka's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1973 through 1975 (there were no later listings of readers for the congregation). Although listed in Jewish Year Books (1972-75) as "reader" (chazan) of the congregation, during that latter part of his service, he carried out most of the functions od the congregation's minister. ↵

(xxxvii) to (xxxix) Reserved.

(xl) The Bayswater Synagogue 1863-1938 Origin and History, page 6. This originally listed wardens to mid-1930s, but has been updated by the Webmaster up 1956. ↵

(xli) The Bayswater Synagogue 1863-1938 Origin and History issued by the Congregation (1938), reproduced on JCR-UK, page 7. ↵

(xlii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 216/7. ↵

(xliii) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵

(xliv) The City of Westminster is an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area and was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former City of Westminster (a Metropolitan Borough) with the Metropolitan Boroughs of Paddindton and St Marylebone.The metropolitan boroughs were created in 1900 and had been within the former County of London (established in 1899, abolished 1965). Until 1899, Paddington, a civil parish, had been part of the former county of Middlesex. ↵

Search the All-UK Database

The records in the database specifically associated with the Bayswater Synagogue include:

Seatholders Lists

1885 (371 records);
1899 (463 records;
1910 (424 records);
1933 (297 records).

For a list of other London records in the Database that may also include records associated with this congregation, click here.

Bibliography, On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

The Bayswater Synagogue 1863 - 1938 - Origin and History, a booklet (including a "Short History " by Cecil Roth and several lists), issued in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Synagogue, 1938. Kindly donated by Ronald Wallace.
Press Report relating to the Bayswater Synagogue 1870
Selected Bibliography:
- The Bayswater Synagogue 1863-1963 by O. S. Philips and H. A. Simons.
- The Synagogues of London by P. Lindsay, 1993 (Valentine Mitchell, London) pp. 83-85
- The Lost Synagogues of London by P. Renton, 2004 (Tymsder Publishing, London) pp. 79-84
- other City of Westminster bibliography and sources

Congregational Records
Registration District (BMD):	Westminster (since 1 January 1978) - Link to Register Office website Previous Registration Districts: Paddington - until 1 January 1978; Marylebone - from founding of the congregation until 1 January 1885. (All records would now be held by the current office.)
Marriage Registers:	Marriage Registers (first entry 25 October 1865; last entry 20 May 1984) deposited with Westminster Register Office

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of the City of Westminster

Jewish Congregations in Greater London (other than East End)

Greater London home page

Page created: 24 July 2003
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 25 March 2018
Page most recently amended: 5 May 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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