Yeshurun Synagogue

Edgware, Middx.

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Yeshurun Synagogue, June 2018
© David Shulman 2018

Congregation Data
Name:	Yeshurun Synagogue *(Beth Haknesset Yeshurun)*⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Former Name:	Edgware Beth Hamedrash⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	Fernhurst Gardens, Stonegrove Edgware, Middx. HA8 7PH (consecrated 1950 (2)) Previously at Heather Walk, Edgware.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Current Status:	Active
Date Formed:	October 1946^(iv)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	A constituent synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues from, or from shortly following, its formation.^(v) (See also Kehillas Netzach Yisroel - Federation Synagogue, also in Edgware.)
Website:	http://www.yeshurun.org
Ministers, Rabbis & Rabbinical Team: (To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rabbi A. Rappaport - minister from about 1947 until about 1948^(viii) Rabbi Getzel Ellison - minister from 1958 until 1964^(ix) Rev. S. Kugel - "Minister" in about 1965^(x) Rabbi Benzion (Benzel) Lapian - minister from about 1965 until about 1973^(xi) Rabbi (later Dayan) Gershon Lopian (& Rebbetzen Judy Lopian) - minister from 1976 until 2006, thereafter Emeritus Rabbi until 2014^(xii) Rabbi Alan Lewis (& Rebbetzen Miriam Lewis) - minister from 2006 until 2024^(xiii) Rabbi Benji Landau (& Rebbetzen Aviva Landau) - associate rabbi from 2016 until about 2020^(xiv) Rabbi Avinoam Czitron (& Rebbetzen Haddas Czitron) - minister from 2024^(xv)
Cantors (Readers):	Rev. E. Singer - from about 1951 until about 1956^(xvii) Rev. Eli Abt - from about 1956 until about 1964^(xviii) Rev. Dov Speier - about 1976^(xix) Rev. Joel N. Portnoy - from 1977 until 1980^(xx)
Lay Officers:^(xxii)	President 1947-1956 - A.B. Olivestone Wardens 1948-1949 - J. Osofky and H. Weinstein 1949-1951 - H. Weinstein and H. Weisfogel 1951-1953 - no data 1953-1954 - A.B. Olivestone and D. Dolinsky 1954-1955 - H. Weisfogel and D. Dolinsky 1955-1956 - H. Weisfogel and I. Berenblut	Treasurers^(xxiii) 1947-1952 - B. Cohen 1952-1954 - no data 1954-1956 - B. Weller Secretaries^(xxiv) 1947-1951 - B. Cohen 1951-1953 - V. Brilliant 1953-1955 - Mrs. B. Vogel 1955-1956 - G. Blackman 1956-1957 - M.N. Greene 1957-1965 - D.S. Preston^(xxv)
Membership Data:	National Reports & Surveys^(xxix) 1977 - 329 male (or household) members and 81 female members 1983 - 329 male (or household) members and 79 female members 1990 - 431 members (households) 1996 - 433 members (comprising 293 households, 38 individual male and 102 individual female members) 2010 - listed as having 400 to 499 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having 300 to 399 members (by household)
Charitable Status:	No registration found of the congregation as a registered charity. However, the Edgware Yeshurun Synagogue Yeshiva and Seminary Fund is a registered charity (no. 1111523), registered on 30 September 2005. The governing document is the Declaration of Trust of 5 July 2005. ^(xxx)
Local Government Districts:	Edgware, a residential suburb in Northwest London, has a substantial Jewish minority. Most of Edgware (including the locality in which the synagogue is situated) is in the London Borough of Barnet and was (until 1965) in the former Municipal Borough of Hendon (incorporated as a borough in 1932).^(xxxi) Bibliography - Barnet
Registration District (BMD):	Barnet^(xxxii) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	For Federation of Synagogues cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Reserved. (ii) The congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books as Beth Haknesset Yeshurun until from 1952 through 1956, and thereafter as Yeshurun Synagogue. "Yeshurun" is a poetic name for Israel and is found in the Hebrew Bible, appearing most frequently (three times) in the book of Deuteronomy. It is generally considered to be derived from a root word meaning straight, upright or just. "Beth Hakanesset" is Hebrew for "the Synagogue". ↵ (iii) The Congregation was listed as Edgware Beth Hamedrash of Heather Walk, Edgware in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1951. It was not listed at all in the 1947 edition. ↵ (iv) Congregation's website (accessed 15 March 2018). ↵ (iii) The congregation was listed as a constituent of the Federation of Synagogues fromits first appearance in Jewish Year Books in 1948. ↵ (vi) and (vii) Reserved. (viii) Based upon Rabbi Rappaport's listing as Rab of the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1948. There were no "rabs" or ministers listed editions 1949 through 1958. ↵ (ix) Based upon Rabbi Ellison's listing as Rab of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1964. There was Rab or ministers listed in the 1965 edition. ↵ (x) Rev. Kugel is listed as "Minister" (with Rabbi Lapian listed as "Rabbi") in the Jewish Year Book 1966. ↵ (xi) Based upon Rabbi Lapian's listing as rabbi/minister in Jewish Year Books 1966 through 1973. ↵ (xii) Based upon Dayan Lopian's's listing in Jewish Year Books 1977 through 2006. ↵ (xiii) Federation of Synagogues website, accessed May 2020 and Uniquely Edgware website, last accessed October 2021 and congregation's website, accessed February 2025. ↵ (xiv) March 2016 News report formerly on Federation of Synagogues website on Rabbi Ladau's appointment and Congregation's website, accessed May 2020. He appears to have left by the end of 2020. ↵ (xv) Congregation's website, accessed February 2025. ↵ (xvi) Reserved. (xvii) Based upon Rev. Singer's listing in Jewish Year Books 1952 through 1956. ↵ (xviii) Based upon Rev. Abt's listing in Jewish Year Books 1957 through 1964. ↵ (xix) Rev. Speier's Jewish Chronicle profile of 15 September 1989. ↵ (xx) Jewish Chronicle reports. ↵ (xxi) Reserved. (xxii) All the data as listed here has been extracted from Jewish Year Books. Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevent year book (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing the the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1951, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1947 and continued in office until 1951). However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and accordingly his actual years of office may differ slightly from those shown here. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵ (xxiii) The title was listed as Financial Representative in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1951. ↵ (xxiv) The title was listed as Honorary Secretary in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1953. ↵ (xxv) Mr. Preston previously served as secretary of Finchley Synagogue (c.1953-c.1957). ↵ (xxvi) to (xxviii) Reserved. (xxix) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by or on behalf of 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. ↵ (xxx) Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 12 May 2020. ↵ (xxxi) The London Borough of Barnet, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the the Municipal Boroughs of Hendon and Finchley and Urban District of Friern Barnet (all of which had been in the former county of Middlesex) with the Urban Districts of Barnet and East Barnet (both of which had been part of the county of Hertfordshire). ↵ (xxxii) The former Registration District was Hendon, from the formation of the congregation until 1 April 1999. All registers would now be held by current register office. ↵

List of Congregations in the Federation of Synagogues

Jewish Congregations in Edgware (London Borough of Barnet)

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

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Page created: 16 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 15 March 2018
Page most recently amended: 20 February 2025

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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