Sha'arei Tsedek North London Reform Synagogue

Whetstone, London N20

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Congregation Data
Name:	Sha'arei Tsedek North London Reform Synagogue (from 19 May 2010⁽ⁱ⁾)
Former Name:	Southgate and District Reform Synagogue
Address:	120 Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone, London N20 9EZ (from December 1999⁽ⁱⁱ⁾). The building dates from the late 19th Century when it was built as All Saints Girls School. The school closed in 1974 and the building was purchase by the Oxford & St Georges Youth Club when they moved out of the East End, and was known to many people as Henriques House. The club closed in the late 1990s.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Previous Addresses:	45 High Street, Southgate, London N14 (from about 1981 to 1999^(iv)) - a converted warehouse, built on the site of the home of the poet Leigh Hunt.^(v) Queens Avenue, Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, London N21 (from 1963 to about 1981)^(vi) - the building of the former Winchmore Hill Collegiate School.
Current Status:	Active
Date Founded:	1961^(vii)
Ritual:	Reform
Affiliation:	A constituent synagogue of the Movement for Reform Judaism (formerly the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain).
Website:	http://www.shaarei-tsedek.org.uk
Principal or Senior Ministers:	Rabbi Sonny Herman - from 1961 (initially as Student Rabbi, later Minister) to 1977^(viii) Rabbi Colin Eimer (Minister & Principal Rabbi) - from 1977 to 31 March 2015, and thereafter emeritus^(ix) Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu (Principal Rabbi) - from January 2018 until present (July 2019) ^(x)
Associate Rabbis: (To view a short profile of one of the above ministers or an associate minister who also served other UK congregations - names in blue - hold the cursor over his or her name.)	Rabbi Michael Pertz - in about 2001 / 2002^(xiii) Rabbi Erlene Wahlhaus^(xiv) - from 2002 to 2004 Rabbi Marcia Plumb - from 2003 to 2010^(xv) Rabbi Greg Alexander^(xvi) - from about 2004 to about 2005 Rabbi Dr. Deborah Kahn-Harris^(xvii) - from 2005 to 2010 Rabbi Monique Mayer - from November 2011 to c.June 2012 (interim post)^(xviii) Rabbi James Baaden - from November 2011 to present (July 2019)^(xix) Rabbi Judith Levitt^(xx) - from 2013 to December 2017 Rabbi Danny Newman - from October 2018 for five months (interim post)^(xxi)
Membership Data:	National Reports & Surveys^(xxv) 1977 - 290 male (or household) members and 19 female members 1983 - 292 male (or household) members and 59 female members 1990 - 521 members (households) 1996 - 495 members (comprising 478 households, 9 individual male and 8 individual female members) 2010 - listed as having 500 to 749 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having 400 to 499 members (by household) Other 2017 - approximately 890 members - 450 families^(xxvi) 2019 - approximately 840 members - 430 families^(xxvii)
Legal and Charitable Status:	Sha'arei Tsedek North London Reform Synagogue is a private company limited by guarantee without share capital and with use of 'Limited' exemption (company number: 10514105), incorporated on 7 December 2016.^(xxx) The congregation is also a registered charity, its current registration (no.1171418) dating from 1 February 2017. The governing documents are the company's memorandum and articles of association dated 20 November 2016.^(xxxi) The congregation's previous registration as a registered charity was from 21 July 1999 until removed from the register on 7 June 2018 (registered charity number: 1076670).^(xxxii) There are references to an earlier registration as a charity in the 1990s (registered charity number: 145765)^(xxxiii) but this never existed.^(xxxiv)
Local Government District:	The North London suburb of Whetstone is in the southwest of the London Borough of Barnet (created on 1 April 1965), within the administrative area of Greater London. The North London suburbs of Southgate and Winchmore Hill are in the London Borough of Enfield (also created on 1 April 1965), within the administrative area of Greater London. Previously, both suburbs were in the former Municipal Borough of Southgate in the former County of Middlesex.
Registration Districts (BMD):	Barnet (for Whetstone) - Link to Register Office website Enfield (for Southgate and Winchmore Hill^(xxxv)) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	Membership of the synagogue includes burial rights through the Jewish Joint Burial Society (JJBS) at one of its cemeteries, principally the Western Cemetery in Cheshunt. There is also the option (through the JJBS) of a Woodland Burial in Cheshunt or cremation at Golders Green Crematorium.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. The congregation also used the name SDRS at Whetstone for a while, albeit informally. ↵ (ii) The congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017. ↵ (iii) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. . ↵ (iv) Based upon the congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017, and the listing of this address for the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1982 through 2000. ↵ (v) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. ↵ (vi) Based upon the congregation being listed with this address in Jewish Year Books 1966 through 1981. There was no address given in earlier listings, although according to the congregation's website, accessed 4 December 2018, the congregation "began life in a house in Winchmore Hill in 1961". ↵ (vii) Congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017. ↵ (viii) Rabbi Herman listing as a past minister on the congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017 and his listing as minister of this congregation in Jewish Year Books 1970 through 1977. ↵ (ix) Rabbi Eimer's profile on the congregation's website, last accessed 3 July 2019. ↵ (x) Rabbi Ambalu's profile on the congregation's website, last accessed 3 July 2019. ↵ (xi) and (xxii) Reserved. (xiii) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. . ↵ (xiv) Rabbi Wahlhaus's listing as a past officer on the congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017. She died in August 2004. ↵ (xv) Rabbi Plumb's listing as a past officer on the congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017. ↵ (xvi) Based upon Rabbi Alexander's listing as a rabbi of this congregation in the Jewish Year Book 2005. He was a graduate of UTC and received ordination from Leo Baeck College. Rabbi Alexander was subsequently appointed as a rabbi of Temple Israel Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congregation, South Africa. ↵ (xvii) Congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017 (where her family name is given simply as Kahn) and the profile of US-born Rabbi Kahn-Harris (ordained 1996)on Leo Baeck College website, accessed 5 December 2018. ↵ (xviii) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. ↵ (xix) Congregation's website and Rabbi Baaden's LinkedIn page, both last accessed 18 February 2019. Rabbi Baaden's appontment was initially an interim post for from November 2011 until 30 June 2012. ↵ (xx) Listed on the congregation's website, accessed 5 May 2017, but not listed when accessed 5 December 2018. She is mentioned in various reports in late 2017, where she appears to be inaffiliated to a congregation. ↵ (xxi) Based on a report dated 31 October 2018 (no longer available) published by the congregation "that Rabbi Danny Newman is able to join us for the next five months". Rabbi Newman is listed on the congregation's website, last accessed 18 February 2019, as an assistant rabbi. ↵ (xxii) and (xxiv) Reserved. (xxv) 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. ↵ (xxvi) Advised by the congregation. ↵ (xxvii) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. ↵ (xxviii) and (xxix) Reserved. (xxx) Companies House website (in beta trial stage), accessed 5 December 2018. ↵ (xxxi) Congregation's website, Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, all accessed 5 December 2018. ↵ (xxxii) Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 5 December 2018. ↵ (xxxiii) Jewish Year Books 1996 and several subsequent editions. ↵ (xxxiv) Communicated to JCR-UK by the congregation, July 2019. ↵ (xxxv) The former registration district for Southgate and Winchmore Hill was Wood Green, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965. ↵

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

on JCR-UK

Annual Reports filed with the Charities Commission (pdf) for years ended 31 March 2018
Bibliography:
- Southgate and District Reform Synagogue, Silver Jubilee, 1961/1986, Southgate 1986
- other Barnet bibliography
- other Enfield bibliography

List of Reform Judaism Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Enfield

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Barnet

List of Member Synagogues of the Jewish Joint Burial Society

Jewish Congregations in Greater London (other than East End)

Greater London home page

Page created: 3 September 2003
Data significantly expanded: 5 May 2017; Notes first added: 5 December 2018
Latest revision or update: 3 July 2019

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