Edgware Adath Yisroel Congregation

Edgware, Middx.

JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and
congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.
NOTE: We are not the official website of this congregation, which can be reached by clicking on the congregation's logo below.

Edgware Adath Synagogue
Main entrance , June 2018
© David Shulman 2018

Edgware Adath Synagogue
Side entrance, June 2018
© David Shulman 2018

Congregation Data

Name

Edgware Adath Yisroel Congregation (EAYC)
(formerly also known as Edgware Adath Yisroel Synagogue)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Address:

265 Hale Lane, Edgware, Middx. HA8 8NW^(iv)

Formation and Previous Addresses:

The previous addresses of the congregation (in chronological order), from its founding in 1939 as a small Shabbat minyan in a private home, are listed below. For a detailed description, see "The History of Edgware Adath Yisrael Congregation 1939-2019" (the "History" - link below):

1939-1940 - 37 The Drive, Edgware, the home of the congregation's founder, Harris Chaimkofsky^(v)
1940-1943 - 35 Broadhurst Avenue, Edgware^(vi)
1943-1954 - 21 St. Margaret's Road, Edgware^(vii)
1954-2009 - 261 Hale Lane, Edgware, Middx. HA8 8NX^(viii)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox / Strictly Orthodox

Affiliation:

EAYC is independent.

It was associated with, and funded by, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC) from 1940, becoming a constituent synagogue in 1944.^(ix) However, relations with the UOHC began to grow cool in the 1960s. In 1967, EAYC adopted a new constitution accepting the ultimate halachic authority of the London Beth Din (the Court of the Chief Rabbi) and not the Union Beth Din.^(x) EAYC withdrew from the UOHC in about 1979, although it remains affiliated to the UOHC's Adath Yisrael Burial Society.^(xi)

Website:

http://www.eayc.org

Senior Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister or chazan whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rabbi Ephraim Konigshofers - from 1939 until 1941^(xii)

Rabbi Abraham Moses Babad - from 1943 until about 1947^(xiii)

Rabbi Jacob (Yaacov) Heshel - from 1948 until December 1970^(xiv)

Rabbi Refoel Kahan - from October 1972 until 1988^(xv)

Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Lieberman (& Rebbetzen Feigy Lieberman) - April 1990 to present (May 2021)^(xvi)

Sefardi Minyan

In 2008, a Sefardi Minyan was opened in Edgware, which formally became part of EAYC in 2011.

The rabbi of the Minyan, since 2008 until the present (May 2021), is Rabbi Doniel Karp.^(xvii)

Chazanim (Cantors)^(xxii):

Rev. Duboff - from at least 1941 until 1954^(xxiii)

Rev. Alter Roth - from 1955 until 1969^(xxiv)

Rev. Lionel Rosenfeld - from 1968 until about 1973^(xxv)

Lay Officers (generally to mid 1950s)^(xxviii):

Chairmen

1945-1953 - A. Enfield

1953-1955 - S. Silverman

1955-1956 - Sidney Hartman^(xxix)

Presidents

1953-1955 - A. Enfield

1955-1956 - Lucer Raiher

Hon. Secretaries

1945-1948 - L. Kirschbaum

1948-1951 - H. Young

1951-1956 - D. Birnbaum

Gabbaim

1940-1952 - Harris Chaimofsky^(xxx)

1952-1974 - Nachman Schlagman^(xxxi)

Treasurers (& Joint Treasurers)

1946-1950 - Henry Pels

1948-1949 - L. Cantor

1949-1950 - Mr. Adelman

1950-1951 - L. Rather

1950-1954 - J.S. Stern

1951-1955 - E. Cantor

1955-1956 - S.L. Gross

Membership Data:

Congregation's History^(xxxii)

1947

1950

1963

2010

2019

25

62

98

180

230

National Reports & Surveys^(xxxiii)

1977 - 86 male (or household) members and 10 female members

1983 - 109 male (or household) members and 11 female members

1990 - 123 members (comprising 108 households, 5 individual male and 10 individual female members)

1996 - 200 members (households)

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

2016 - listed as having 300 to 399 members (by household).

Legal & Charitable Status:

The congregation is a registered (non-profit) company, Edgware Adath Yisroel Congregation Limited (company no. 06545357), a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, incorporated on 26 March 2008.^(xxxiv)

It is also a registered charity (no. 1123950), registered on 2 May 2008.^(xxxv)

The governing documents are the company's Memorandum & Articles of Association.

Local Government District:

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^(xxxvi) and was (until 1965) in the former Municipal Borough of Hendon (incorporated as a borough in 1932).

Registration District (BMD):

Barnet ^(xxxvii) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

For Adath Yisroel Burial Society cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the UOHC

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.

(iii) Edgware Adath Yisroel Congregregation (abbreviated to EAYC) is the name under which the congregation is generally known. However, in all Jewish Year Books until 2007 it was listed a Edgware Adath Yisroel Synagogue. ↵

(iv) Congregation's website, last accessed 19 May 2020. The site had previously been St. James Church built 1924, which had become derelict, and was purchased by the Jewish Secondary School Movement in order to do a swap transaction for EAYC's half share in 261 Hale Lane (see note (viii) below) (The History, p.55). ↵

(v) The services were held in a large outbuilding in the back garden of the house (The History, p.22). ↵

(vi) The move to the rented house in Broadfields Avenue was the iniative of Rabbi Dr. Solomon Schonfeld, leader of the Adath (UOHC) movement, assisted by Henry Pels, a member of the congregation. The rent was paid by the parent Adath and the congregation adopted its present name and commenced fell under the wing of the UOHC movement. The new Adath-sponsored rabbi (see below) moved into the upper floor of the building (the History, p.23). ↵

(vii) The house St Margaret's Road was purchased in March 1943 for £2,100. The ground floor had a maximum capacity of about 50 men and women. The upstairs became the rabbi's flat. (The History, p.23.) ↵

(viii) The purchase price of the 261 Hale Lane site ("Highfields") in 1954 was £7,650, plus a further £1,000 for an adjoining two acre plot at the rear, stretching down Penshurst Gardens, then consisting of four tennis courts and a wooden pavilion. EAYC initially held services on the ground floor of Highfields, but shortly thereafter moved to the somewhat delapidated pavilion. The purchase was made jointly for EAYC and the Jewish Secondary School Movement (JSSM), led by Rabbi Dr. Schonfeld, who from 1955 to 1992, used the site for the then Edgware Hasmonean Preparatory School. It was not until 1960 that a new synagogue building, with classrooms for the school, was completed at the site. Ultimately, ownership of the whole site was transferred to JSSM in about 2008 (for what became the Beit Shvidler Primary School) and EAYC received from JSSM the neighbouring site at 265 Hale Lane, which the JSSM had purcahsed in order to effect the swap transaction with EAYC. (The history p. 55.) ↵

(ix)The History pp.23-24 ↵

(x) A major factor in the strained relations beween EAYC and the UOHC, led by Rabbi Schonfeld, were disputes relating to the shared ownership of the 261 Hale Lane site between EAYC and the Jewish Secondary Schools Movement, also led by rabbi Schonfeld (the History pp.39 and 41), which was ultimately resolved by England's High Court of Justice in 1977. (The history pp.39, 41.) ↵

(xi) The congregation was listed as a constituent of the UOHC until Jewish Year Book 1978. Its independence was recognised the the English Charities Commissioners in 1979. ↵

(xii) The History pp.23/24. One of the principal reasons for the UOHC initially supporting the congregation was for it to employ Rabbi Koningshofers, who would then be able to obtain an entry visa to the UK and thus escape Nazi controlled Vienna. ↵

(xiii) The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History p.44. ↵

(xiv) Congregation's website (accessed 14 March 2018). ↵

(xv) The History, pp.40-47. Rabbi Kahan was listed as minister of the Congregation until the Jewish Year Book 1989, but in the 1990 edition, the post is vacant. ↵

(xvi) The History p.47 and the Congregation's website, last accessed 30 May 2021. ↵

(xvii) Congregation's website, last accessed 30 May 2021. ↵

(xviii) to (xxi) Reserved.

(xxii) None of the Jewish Year Books listed chazanim for the congregation. ↵

(xxiii) The History, pp.23 and 27. Rev. Duboff became chazan emeritus in November 1954. ↵

(xxiv) The History, pp.33 and 38 and Jewish Chronicle report of 31 October 1969. ↵

(xxv) The History, pp.38 and 41. Rev. Rosenfeld lived in Israel for several years following his period with the congregation. ↵

(xxvi) to (xxvii) Reserved.

(xxviii) Unless otherwise stated, all the data as listed here (other than in respect of Gabbaim) 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 (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 subsequent to 1956. ↵

(xxix) Although the Jewish Year Book 1956 lists "A. Hartman" as Chairman, the History refers to Mr. Sidney Hartman as Chairman during the mid-1950s. ↵

(xxx) Mr. Chaimofsky, the founder of the congregation, had a tailoring work shop in Christian Street in the London East and was a gabbai of Commercial Road Talmud Torah. According to the History (p.24) he was gabbai by 1944 and had presumably acted as such since the congregation moved from meeting in in his home. ↵

(xxxi) According to the History (p.33). Mr. Schlagman took over as gabbai in 1952, on Mr. Chaimofsky retirement and remained in the role for 22 years. ↵

(xxxii) Extracted from the History, pp. 24. 26, 36 and 59. ↵

(xxxiii) 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. ↵

(xxxiv) Companies House website (in beta trial stage), accessed 18 March 2018. ↵

(xxxv) Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 18 March 2018. ↵

(xxxvi) 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). ↵

(xxxvii) 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. ↵

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

The History of EAYC 1939-2019 (pdf), from the congregation's 80th Anniversary Celebration Brochure, on the congregation's website.
Annual Trustees Reports and Accounts (pdf) filed with the Charities Commission and Companies House:
- For years ended 31 August 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Bibliography - London Borough of Barnet.

List of Independent Askenazi Congregations in London

List of UOHC Congregations

Jewish Congregations in Edgware (London Borough of Barnet)

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 16 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 14 March 2018
Latest revision or update: 30 May 2021

Explanation of Terms | About JCR-UK | JCR-UK home page

Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk
(Note: This is to contact JCR-UK, not the above Congregation)

Terms and Conditions, Licenses and Restrictions for the use of this website:

This website is owned by JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. All material found herein is owned by or licensed to us. You may view, download, and print material from this site only for your own personal use. You may not post material from this site on another website without our consent. You may not transmit or distribute material from this website to others. You may not use this website or information found at this site for any commercial purpose.