Epsom and District Affiliated Synagogue

Jewish Chronicle, 13 October 1967

Profile of the Epsom community - "Gentile woman's gift to Epsom"

For nearly 26 years the now tiny Epsom congregation has dreamed of possessing its own sefer Torah. On Sunday of last week the dream came true and the scroll was consecrated at a service held in the Epsom and District Synagogue, which is affiliated to the United Synagogue. But had it not been for the generosity of a non-Jewish woman, the synagogue may have had to wait even longer for its most treasured possession.

Some months ago, Mrs. Janie Smith went to the synagogue on a Shabbat and asked if she could stay for the service. She subsequently attended the synagogue regularly, even though unable to read Hebrew, and was often the only woman present at services. During this period the synagogue began negotiations with Rabbi Reinhart, of the Westminster Synagogue, to purchase one of the Sifrei Torah rescued from the Nazis and recovered from Czechoslovakia. At that time, the synagogue was not certain whether to proceed, first, because of the cost involved, and secondly, because the Six-Day War entailed outlay by Jewish organisations in other directions.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Smith died and the synagogue, still undecided whether or not to buy the scroll, was informed by her solicitors that she had left it a legacy. This was enough to cover the cost of the scroll, which was then purchased. The service was conducted by the synagogue's vice-president and honorary reader, Mr. F. Hirsch.

The congregation, which has only 26 subscribing members, is closely knit During the war the membership, mainly refugees from Nazism and evacuee residents, was about 200, but few remain since the drift back to London. Some local Jewish residents attend services at Sutton.

The Epsom Synagogue building was consecrated in 1954 by Dayan Dr. M. Lew and the community, founded in 1941, once had a minister, from 1941-47, in the person of Rabbi Dr. P. Holzer, who was present on Sunday. Mr. M. G. Jones, the synagogue's financial representative, told me: "This is really a do-it-yourself congregation. We obtained seats and pews from the Great Synagogue, Adler Street, and Dr. H. L. Lehmann (the president) did some carpentry work on them. I saw to the plumbing and others gave a hand with the decorations of what was once a Baptist church. We are very comfortable here."

[Article extracted by Steven Jaffe.]

Jewish Chronicle, 28 October 1977

Dr H. L. Lehmann, president and leading light of the tiny Epsom Jewish community, celebrates his seventieth birthday tomorrow (Shabbat). A chemist by profession, he founded the Epsom and District Synagogue in the dark war days of 1941 and has been president and honorary secretary ever since, building up the congregation with the help of his friend, Mr M. E. Jones. Dr Lehmann conducts all the Sabbath and festival services and even delivers a short address on the weekly sidra. A number of Epsom's barmitzvah boys were taught by him and he recently had the deep satisfaction of teaching the son of one of his former pupils.
[This report was extracted by Steven Jaffe.]

Jewish Chronicle, 22 May 1992, page 13

Obituary of Dr Hans Lehmann, aged 84.
“…the minuscule Epsom Jewish community has suffered a grievous loss.  He kept alive the synagogue, located in an 18^th-century Baptist chapel, regardless of how he was supported by other congregants.” Reference to “Despite the community’s decline after the Second  World War.”

Jewish Chronicle, 2 July 1993 [no pagination]

[In a section relating to four United Synagogue communities merging with other congregations’]
“Plans are … under way to merge Epsom Synagogue with Sutton some four miles away. Male membership at Epsom Synagogue has dwindled to nine and total membership numbers only 13. Formal services ended last summer. Sutton secretary Leonard Gooblar said that some Epsom members had begun to attend Sutton services last year.”

[Jewish Chronicle, 3 September 1993, page 4.

Advert for United Synagogue services includes Epsom Synagogue. Probably an error]
 

List of JCR-UK Articles and Press Extracts by Harold Pollins

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