East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue

Congregation Data

East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue

On 1 January 2017, the Woodford Liberal Synagogue and the Beit Tikvah Synagogue, Barkingside, merged to form this Congregation.⁽ⁱ⁾

Marlborough Road, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1AR (the former synagogue building of the Woodford Liberal Synagogue)

From the date of the merger until 6 January 2018, the merged congregation held services at, and operated from, both the Marlborough Road building and 129 Perrymans Farm Road, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex IG2 7LX, the former synagogue building of Beit Tikvah Synagogue.⁽ⁱ⁾

The last services were held at Perrymans Farm Road premises on 6 January 2018, and the building sold.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Active

Liberal Progressive

A constituent synagogue of Liberal Judaism since the merger.

Rabbi David Hulbert - from 1989 (at Bet Tikvah) to present (December 2018)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Rabbi Richard Jacobi (part time) - from 2007 (at Woodford) to present (December 2018)^(iv)

In a Report on synagogue membership just a few months prior to the merger^(vi), Woodford Liberal Synagogue was listed as having 300 to 399 members (by household) and Bet Tikva Synagogue was listed as having 200 to 299 members.

The congregation's magazine is HaGesher ("The Bridge"), viewable online, first published in March 2017.

The Congregation is a registered company, East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue (company no. 10089003), being a private company limited by guarantee without a share capital (and with an exemption from use of the word 'Limited'), initially incorporated as Woodford Liberal Synagogue (Redbridge) on 29 March 2016 followed by a change of name to present name on 9 November 2016.^(vii)

It is also a registered charity (no. 1171254), registered on 23 January 2017 . The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association, adopted 29 March 2016, as subsequently amended.^(viii)

The congregation is in the London Borough of Redbridge, an Outer London Borough created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London.

Redbridge (since founding of congregation) - Link to Register Office website

See London Cemeteries of Liberal Judaism.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Congregation's website, accessed 23 March 2018. ↵

• (ii) Jewish News 9 January 2018 - "Iconic Liberal shul building holds its last service". ↵

• (iii) Profile of Rabbi Hulbert on Liberal Judaism's website, last accessed 24 December 2018. ↵

• (iv) Profile of Rabbi Jacobi on Liberal Judaism's website, last accessed 24 December 2018.  ↵

• (v) Reserved.

• (vi) Report on "Synagogue Membership in the United Kingdom in 2016", published by the Institute of Jewish Policy Research (JPR). Link to report. ↵

• (vii) Congregation's website, accessed January 2018. ↵

• (viii) Charities Commissioners website (during beta test stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 23 March 2018. ↵