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Synagogues at RAF Stations

in Staffordshire and Shropshire

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A number of dedicated synagogues were established at Royal Air Force stations throughout Britain, including several in the adjacent counties of Staffordshire and Shropshire. These included Hednesford and Stafford in Staffordshire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

Rev. Malcolm Weisman, minister for the small communities, commented in 1982: "During the days of compulsory service, Jewish recruits in the RAF were always posted to one particular basic training centre (out of a large number of possible choices) so that they could more easily adjust to their changed circumstances in company with large numbers of similarly placed Jews. A permanent synagogue was an important feature of the camp and, in this respect, the names of Hednesford and Bridgnorth must bring back memories to many ex-servicemen."⁽ⁱ⁾

Hednesford, Staffordshire

Hednesford, a market town with a population of about 23,000, is situated some 12 miles northeast of Wolverhampton and 23 miles north of Birmingham. A major RAF station was based in the town from 1939 to 1956. Hednesford was part of the Urban District of Cannock in the county of Staffordshire until 1974, when the district was merged with two neighbouring authorities to form the local authority district of Cannock Chase, still within the county of Staffordshire.

Synagogue at Hednesford RAF Station
Formation:	The synagogue at the Hednesford station was established in 1952 "to provide a place of worship for staff and trainees of the Jewish faith. Considerable help was given by the Jewish community in Birmingham, who provided the plate and much of the furnishings for the synagogue and other amenities for the Jewish Club." Since the station was the main centre in which all Jewish RAF National Servicemen received their basic training, the synagogue on the station was used with great regularity and advantage.^(iv)
Chaplains: *(To view a short profile of a minister, hold the cursor over his name.)*	Rev. Dr. Isaac Levy was Senior Jewish Chaplain to the British forces during this period. Rev. Reuben Solomon Brookes, assistant minister at Singers Hill synagogue, Birmingham, was the officiating chaplain to the station.
Closure:	The synagogue closed in 1956, when the Air Ministry closed the RAF station at Hednesford. In November 1956 it was announced that the Hednesford synagogue facilities were to be transferred to the RAF station at Bridgnorth, Shropshire.^(v)
Registration District (BDM):	Staffordshire, since 1 October 2008 ^(vi) - Link to Register Office Website.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) The Jewish Chronicle of 4 June 1982. ↵ (ii) and (iii) Reserved. (iv) Comments of Rev. Dr. I. Levy, Senior Jewish Chaplain to the forces, reported in The Jewish Chronicle of 9 July 1954. ↵ (v) The Jewish Chronicle report of 30 November 1956. ↵ (vi) Previous registration districts: Penkridge from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1877; Cannock from 1 April 1877 to 1 April 1974; and Cannock Chase from 1 April 1974 to 1 October 2008. Any registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

Bridgnorth, Shropshire

Bridgnorth, a town on the river Severn with a population of about 12,000, is situated some 15 miles west of Wolverhampton and 35 miles west of Birmingham. It was part of the Rural District of Bridgnorth within the county of Shropshire until 1974, when the district incorporated a neighbouring area to form the new local government district of Bridgnorth, still within Shropshire. In 2009, the district council was abolished when Shropshire became a unitary authority.

Synagogue at Bridgnorth RAF Station
Formation:	The dedicated synagogue and club room was consecrated at the Bridgnorth station was established in 1957, following the closure of the RAF station in Hednesford, Staffordshire (some 30 miles to the northeast) in 1956.^(xi)
Chaplains: *(To view a short profile of a minister, hold the cursor over his name.)*	Rev. Reuben Solomon Brookes, assistant minister at Singers Hill synagogue, Birmingham, had been the officiating chaplain at Hednesford and transferred his chaplaincy duties to the Bridgnorth station.
Closure:	Date uncertain, although the synagogue was still functioning in 1959.^(xii)
Registration District (BDM):	Shropshire, since 1 September 2005^(xiii) - Link to Register Office Website.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (xi) The Jewish Chronicle report of 30 November 1956. ↵ (xii) One of the RAF station synagogues still served in 1959 by the Jewish Chaplaincy Department, as reported by the Rev. Dr. Isaac Levy, the Senior Jewish Chaplain, in The Jewish Chronicle report of 20 March 1959. ↵ (xiii) Previous registration district: Bridgnorth from 1 July 1837 to 1 September 2005. Any registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

Stafford, Staffordshire

Stafford, a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, with a population of about 70,000, is situated some 15 miles north of Wolverhampton, 24 miles northwest of Birmingham and 15 miles south of Stoke on Trent. It was a municipal borough in the county of Staffordshire until 1974, when the it merged with three neighbouring authorities to form the local government district and borough of Stafford, still within the county of Staffordshire.

Synagogue at Stafford RAF Station
Formation:	The RAF synagogue at Stafford was consecrated in May 1952 by the Rev. Dr. Isaac Levy, Senior Jewish Chaplain to the British forces, assisted by the Rabbi Isaac Newman, Jewish chaplain to the RAF. The furnishings of the synagogue were recently transferred from RAF Mildenhall, West Suffolk, which had recently been taken over by the United States Air Force.^(xxi)
Ministers: *(To view a short profile of a minister, hold the cursor over his name.)*	The synagogue was supported by Rev. Boruchas M. Starr of the Stoke on Trent Hebrew congregation. Cpl. M. Phillips was lay reader to the Stafford Jewish personnel.
Closure:	Date uncertain.
Registration District (BDM):	Staffordshire, since 1 October 2008^(xxii) - Link to Register Office Website.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (xxi) The Jewish Chronicle of 6 June 1952. ↵ (xxii) Previous registration districts: Penkridge from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1877; Cannock from 1 April 1877 to 1 April 1974; and Cannock Chase from 1 April 1974 to 1 October 2008. Any registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

List of Synagogues at RAF Stations

Jewish Congregations in Staffordshire

Jewish Congregations in Shropshire

Jewish Communities of England home page

Page created: 12 August 2024
Page most recently amended: 14 August 2024

Based upon research by Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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