Catford & Bromley United Synagogue

Catford, London SE6

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Catford and Bromley United Synagogue
(courtesy Jeff Rosen)

Congregation Data

Name:

Catford and Bromley United Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Former Names:

Catford Synagogue (until about 1961)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Catford and Bromley Affiliated Synagogue (from about 1961)^(iv)

Address:

6 Crantock Road, Catford, SE6 2QS

These premises, formerly the Glennifer laundry sports ground, were purchased in 1952 and services were initially conducted in an old squash court.^(v)

However these premises were too small for the needs of the congregation, High Holy Day services being conducted in various venues hired from Bromley Council. After some difficulties with alternative venues, funds were raised to build a purpose built synagogue on the Crantock Road site and the new synagogue was constructed and first services held in February 1968,^(vi) and the building was consecrated on 12 May 1968.

Earlier Addresses:

Previously, from 1940 to 1952, the synagogue was at 53 Catford Hill, London SE6, which was badly damaged by a German air raid during World War II.^(x)

Initially, until 1940, services were held in members' homes.^(xi)

Formation:

Although the first services were held in 1936, the congregation does not appear to have been formed until about 1938.^(xii)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

Joined the United Synagogue as an affiliated synagogue in 1938^(xiii) and has remains so until the present (July 2025).^(xiv)

Website:

https://catfordsynagogue.org.uk

Newsletter:

The congregation's first regular newsletter was published in 1967 and called The Shofar. The name was later changed to The Gazette.^(xv)

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

Rev. Chaim Joshua Cooper, BA - from 1938 until 1945.^(xviii)

Rev. Samuel Morris Bromberger, BA - from 1945 until 1948.^(xix)

Rev. Judah Hosea Rockman (first term) - from 1948 until 1952.^(xx)

Rev. I. Gross - from 1952 until no later than 1953.^(xxi)

Rev. Emanuel Susman - from about 1955 until about 1958.^(xxii)

Rabbi Judah Hosea Rockman (second term) - from 1958 until 1992.^(xxv)

Rabbi Yisroel Yosef Cyprys - from 1994 until 1995.^(xxvi)

Rabbi Jason Kleiman - from 1996 until 1999.^(xxvii)

Rev. Dr. Ze'ev Amit - from 2000 until 2011.^(xxviii)

Rev. Cantor David Rome - from 2012 until 2021.^(xxix)

Rabbi Bryan Weisz - from 2022 until present (July 2025).^(xxx)

Lay Officers:

All data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxxiv)

Presidents

1939-1940 - H. Hitman

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - H. Hitman

1946-1947 - J.H. Boomfield

1948-1949 - F. Reef

1949-1950 - H. Boomfield

Vice Presidents

1940-1941 - S. Silver

1940-1945 - no data

1948-1950 - P. Maltry^(xxxv)

Wardens

1938-1939 - H. Hitman & M. Segar

1939-1940 - M. Feltz & F. Reef

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - F. Reef & H.C. Fishberg

1946-1947 - B. Lefcovitch, H. Bornstein & S. Newman

1947-1949 - F. Reef & B. Lefcovitch

1949-1950 - B. Lefcovitch & F. Reef

1950-1951 - B. Lefcovitch & H. Segal

1951-1952 - S. Newman & H. Segal

1952-1953 - H. Levy & H. Segal

1953-1955 - H. Levy & B. Lefcovitch

1955-1956 - H. Segal & Mr. Solomons

from 1956 - no data

Chairmen

1945-1946 - P. Maltry

1946-1950 - H. Levy

1950-1951 - H. Goldman

1951-1952 - A. Robbins

1952-1956 - J. Harris

Financial Representatives

1938-1939 - S. Silver

1939-1940 - M. Segar

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1948 - I. Reef

1948-1949 - P. Stanton

1949-1951 - B. Harris

1951-1952 - H. Levy

1952-1953 - I.J. Specter

1953-1956 - H. Levy

from 1956 - no data

Secretaries & Hon. Secretaries^(xxxvi)

1938-1948 - The Minister

1948-1949 - I. Reef

1949-1952 - The Minister

1952-1953 - A.J. Shaw

1953-1995 - The Minister

Membership Data:

United Synagogue^(xxxvii) (male seat-holders)

1938

1940

1950

1960

1970

86

100

158

202

231

National Reports & Surveys^(xxxviii)

1977 - 243 male (or household) members and 59 female members

1983 - 258 male (or household) members and 77 female members

1990 - 417 members (comprising 406 households and 11 individual male members)

1996 - 336 members (comprising 318 households, 9 individual male and 9 individual female members)

2010 and 2016 - listed as having 200 to 299 members (by household)

Charitable Status:

Catford and Bromley Synagogue Trust is a registered charity (registered charity no. 1105859), registered on 14 September 2004.^(xli)

Local Government Districts:

Catford is a neighborhood of southeast London in the London Borough of Lewisham, within the administrative area of Greater London. Until 1 April 1965, it was in the somewhat smaller former Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham, within the former County of London.^(xlii)

Bromley is however in the London Borough of Bromley, also within the administrative area of Greater London, being the southeastern most of the London boroughs, bordering the county of Kent. Until 1 April 1965, Bromley was a Municipal Borough in the county of Kent.^(xliii)

Bibliography - London Borough of Lewisham

Registration District (BMD):

Lewisham from 1 July 1837 - Link to Register Office website

Worship Registration:

The synagogue in Crantock Road is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 64146 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xliv)

Cemetery
Information:

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

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Educational

Hebrew & Religious Classes - established by 1938 and first held at Plasey School.^(l)

Other Institutions
(all still current, unless otherwise stated)^(li)

Ladies Guild or Ladies Society - Founded by 1938.^(lii)
Social & Literary Society - founded by 1938, but no longer believed active.^(liii)
Maccabi Club - founded by 1945.^(liv)
Benevolent Fund or Chesed Fund - founded by 1950.^(lv)
Friendship and Social Club - founded in 1957.^(lvi)
Bromley WIZO South-East - founded in the 1970s.^(lvii)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This is how the congregation styles itself on its website, accessed January 2018 and last accessed July 2025. ↵
(iii) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1939 through 1961. ↵
(iv) The congregation appeared under this name in the Jewish Year Books from 1962 through the last edition (2015). ↵
(v) The congregation's website, last accessed July 2025. It was also the listed address in Jewish Year Books from 1953. ↵
(vi) The congregation's website, last accessed July 2025. ↵
(vii) to (ix) Reserved.
(x) The congregation's website, last accessed July 2025. It was also the listed address in Jewish Year Books from 1945/6 through 1952. Publication of the year books was suspended from 1941 through 1945. ↵
(xi) Although congregation's website refers to services being held in members' homes until the acquisition of the Catford Hill premises, Jewish Year Books 1939 and 1940 give the synagogue's address as 6 Penerley Road, Catford SE6. ↵
(xii) Although the congregation's website refers to the 1936 date, it states that the congregation was formed in 1939 (the congregation's 75th anniversary was celebrated in 2014, which re-endorses that date). However, the congregation had become affiliated to the United Synagogue in 1938 and Jewish Year Books from 1950 through 2009 refer to the congregation as having been established in 1937. ↵
(xiii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p.222. ↵
(xiv) The United Synagogue website, last accessed July 2025. ↵
(xv) The congregation's website, last accessed July 2025. ↵
(xvi) and (xvii) Reserved.
(xviii) The Jewish Chronicle of 21 January 1938 reported Rev. Cooper's appointment at Catford and his obituary stated that he left in 1945. He was listed as minister at Catford in Jewish Year Books 1939 and 1940 (there being no subsequent publication until 1945/6). ↵
(xix) The Jewish Chronicle of 8 June 1945 reported on Rev. Bromberger's induction at Catford and on 27 August 1965 it stated that he left Catford in 1948. He was listed as minister at Catford in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 through 1948. ↵
(xx) The congregation's website (first accessed January 2018) provides the years of Rev. Rockman's appointment for his first term, in respect of which he was listed as minister at Catford in Jewish Year Books 1950 through 1953. ↵
(xxi) Jewish Chronicle profile of 6 March 1953. Rev. I. Gross was listed as minister at Catford in Jewish Year Books 1954 and 1955. ↵
(xxii) Based upon Rev. Susman's listing as minister in Jewish Year Books 1956 through 1958. ↵
(xxiii) and (xxiv)
(xxv) The congregation's website (first accessed January 2018) states that Rev. Rockman returned as minister in 1958. His Jewish Chronicle obituary of 13 February 1998 confirmed Rabbi Rockman's retirement in 1992. He was listed as minister in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1995. ↵
(xxvi) Jewish Chronicle of 28 October 1994 reported Rev. Cyprys's induction as minister of the congregation, stating that he had served the congregation for ten months, and on 31 March 1995 it reported that he was to leave the congregation "by mutual agreement"...before Pesach. He was not listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books ↵
(xxvii) Rev. Kleiman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1997 through 1999. Jewish Chronicle reports and letters of March 1999 refer to the controversy over his departure to Clayhall. ↵
(xxviii) Jewish Chronicle on 10 March 2000 confirmed Rev. Amit's appointment in 2000 and on 25 November 2011 it reported that Rev. Amit, the "retiring minister of Catford and Bromley Synagogue was honoured on Tuesday with a civic reception at Lewisham Town hall." He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2001 through 2012. ↵
(xxix) Dates provided by the website of the Sutton and District United Synagogue, accessed July 2025. ↵
(xxx) Congregation's website, accessed July 2025. ↵
(xxxi) to (xxxiii) Reserved.
(xxxiv) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing in 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 1947 through 1951, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1946 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. Jewish Year Books were not published during WWII subsequent to 1940. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xxxv) Referred to as vice-chairman in 1950. ↵
(xxxvi) Office known as Administrator from about 1992. ↵
(xxxvii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xxxviii) 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. ↵
(xxxix) and (xl) Reserved.
(xli) Charities Commission website, accessed July 2025. Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the charity's registration on the Charities Commission website. ↵
(xlii) The London Borough of Lewisham, an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford (both established in 1900). These areas had been within the (then abolished) County of London (established in 1899). ↵
(xliii) The London Borough of Bromley, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Municipal Borough of Bromley with Municipal Borough of Beckenham and the Urban Districts of Penge and Orpington and the Chislehurst part of the Urban District of Chislehurst and Sidcup. All these areas had then been part of the County of Kent. ↵
(xliv) Page 868 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship ↵
(xlv) to (xlix) Reserved.
(l) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1939. ↵
(li) Listed on the congregation's website, accessed July 2025. ↵
(lii) The Ladies Guild was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1939. Now known as the Ladies Society. ↵
(liii) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1939, but not listed on the congregation's website. ↵
(liv) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6, but according to the congregation's website, there has been a Maccabi youth presence at Catford for as long as there has been a synagogue. ↵
(lv) A benevolent fund was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1951. and the congregation's website now refers to a Chesed Fund. ↵
(lvi) The congregation's Friendship and Social Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007 (congregation's website, accessed July 2025). ↵
(lvii) The last remaining WIZO group in South East London and according to the congregation's website (accessed July 2025) has been in existence for nearly 50 years. ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

List of Synagogues destroyed or severely damaged
by German air raids during World War II

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Lewisham

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 25 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 23 January 2018
Page reformatted and data significantly further enhanced: 25 July 2025
Page most recently amended: 28 July 2025

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jolles (rabbinic profiles)
Formatting by David Shulman

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