the former

Jesmond Hebrew Congregation

Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

The former Jesmond Synagogue, Newcastle upon Tyne,
(Courtesy Peter Gatoff)

Congregation Data
Name:	Jesmond Hebrew Congregation also known as Jesmond Synagogue ⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	Eskdale Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. Following the purchase of the plot of land, Marcus T. Glass was engaged as architect and the first foundation stone was laid on 17 June 1914 by Chief Rabbi Dr. J.H. Hertz. On 17 March 1915, the synagogue was opened by Sir Stewart Samuel, MP and consecrated by Rabbi Dr. Herman Gollancz.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Formation:	As members of the Newcastle Jewish community became more prosperous, a number of families moved from the city centre to the more affluent outer areas, such as Jesmond. This movement gained momentum at the beginning of the twentieth century and in October 1913, a public meeting was held by Jewish residents, who resolved to establish a synagogue in Jesmond, primarily in light of Jesmond's distance from the main Newcastle synagogue (Leazes Park Road), which made it difficult for the elderly to attend Sabbath services or for children to attend the Hebrew classes.^(iv) Initially it was intended that the congregation would be a branch of the Leazes Park Road congregation, but the negotiations failed to produce an agreement satisfactory to both sides and it was decided to form an independent congregation. The congregation was formally established in 1914.^(v)
Final Status:	In 1973, the congregation became one of the three constituent synagogues of the newly established Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation ("UHC").^(vi) The Jesmond synagogue continued to serve as one of the synagogues of UHC (and from 1984 to 1986 its only synagogue), until its closure in 1986 upon the opening of the new synagogue in Culzean Park.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	Until 1973, when the synagogue became a UHC constituent synagogue, it was an unaffiliated congregation under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.
Ministers: (To view a short profile of a minister or reader in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. Emmanuel Drukker - minister from 1915 until 1958^(x) Rabbi Dr. Isaac Lerner, MA, PhD - minister from 1958 until about 1967^(xi) Rabbi Sidney Silberg - minister from 1967 until 1973^(xii)
Readers (Chazanim):	Rev. Bernard M. Bindman - reader, shochet and teacher from 1916 until 1945^(xiv) Rev. Joshua Toledano - reader in early 1960s^(xv) Rev. Michael Kahan - reader from about 1967 until 1962^(xvi) Rev. L. Finklestein - reader from about 1966 until about 1968^(xvii)
Founder Members:^(xx)	Cllr. Gabriel Woolf Joseph Cohen Joseph Jackson Leon Jackson Moses Jacobson	Simon L. Jockelson Bernard Leventhall Morris Marks Morris Price Morris Rubenstein		David L. Sandleson B. Segal Henry Welford Sam Wilkes
Lay Officers:^(xxi)	Presidents^(xii) 1915-1919 - Cllr. Gabriel Woolf 1919-1921 - Morris Marks 1921-1922 - Cllr. Gabriel Woolf 1922-1926 - M.J. Fisher^(xxv) 1926-1929 - A.N. Birk 1929-1932 - I. Collins 1932-1936 - Z. Jackson 1936-1937 - A.B. Caller 1937-1940 - M.J. Fisher 1940-1942 - M. Cohen 1942-1945 - S. Phillips 1945-1948 - J. Levine 1948-1950 - Isaac Kossick 1950-1953 - S. Tavroges 1953-1957 - A. Summerfield 1957-1961 - Dr. S. Osborne 1961-1963 - D.D. Cohen 1963-1966 - Dr. Lionel Kopelowitz 1966-1969 - D. Carr 1969-1972 - D. Drukker 1972-1973 - Sam Tavroges Wardens 1925-1926 - A.N. Birk 1926-1929 - S.R. Cohen 1929-1932 - A.N. Birk 1932-1936 - A.B. Caller 1936-1938 - no data 1938-1940 - C. Garfield 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - W.D. Abrahams 1946-1949 - S. Best 1949-1954 - J. Mayer 1954-1956 - A.N. Birk Beadle & Collector c.1915-1944 - A. Franks^(xxvi)		Treasurers 1915-1919 - Joseph Cohen 1919-1920 - Joseph Jackson 1920-1923 - Moses Jacobson 1923-1925 - M.S. Freedman 1925-1929 - A.S. Woolf^(xxvii) 1929-1932 - J. Faith 1932-1936 - J. Taylor 1936-1938 - C. Garfield 1938-1940 - M. Cohen 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - J. Levine 1946-1947 - M. Kossick 1947-1954 - A. Summerfield 1954-1955 - Dr. M.L. Slotover 1955-1956 - Dr. S. Osborne Secretaries or Hon. Secretaries 1915-1917 - Leon Jackson 1917-1919 - I. Marks 1919-1923 - Henry Welford 1923-1925 - M. Cohen 1925-1926 - H.M. Cohen 1926-1930 - J. Adler 1930-1932 - J.N. Adler 1932-1936 - H. Hewitt 1936-1938 - A. Woolf 1938-1939 - J.A. Phillips 1939-1940 - J. Levine 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - J. Levine 1946-1949 - B. Niman 1949-1950 - H.J. Tavroges 1950-1951 - L. Gatoff 1951-1957 - H.J. Tavroges 1957-1961 - Dr. Lionel Kopelowitz 1961-1963 - M. Black 1963-1965 - D. Carr 1965-1966 - M. Baum 1966-1968 - D.A. Drukker 1968-1970 - D.S. Slesengar 1970-1973 - Dr. E. Silver
Lay Officers (Constituent Synagogue):	Chairmen 1973-1976 - Sam Tavroges 1976-1977 - D. Drukker 1977-1978 - Sam Tavroges 1978-1985 - D. Linskill 1985-1986 - D.A. Drukker		Wardens 1973-1976 - M. Summerfield 1976-1977 - Sam Tavroges Financial Representatives 1973-1976 - A. Summerfield 1976-1977 - I. Joseph
Membership Data:	June 1915 - 40 members^(xxx) end 1915 - 80 members^(xxx) 1918 - 111 members^(xxxi)
Committees:	The congregation had its own Chevra Kadisha until at least the mid 1950s.^(xxxii) The congregation's Ladies Guild had been formed by at least 1951.^(xxxiii)
Cemeterybr> Information:	IIn 1915, the Congregation acquired its own cemetery, being the Jewish Section of the Byker and Heaton Municipal Cemetery.^(xxxiv) (For details, see Newcastle Cemetery Information)

Online Articles, Photographs and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

Additional Photographs of Synagogue.

Congregational Records
General:	Numerous records of the Jewish Communities in Northeast England (only a sample of which are listed below) are deposited with the Tyne and Wear Archives Service (http://www.legacyarchives.org.uk) CLICK HERE to view a list of these records (correct to December 2005).
Synagogue Records:	Minutes 1924-1973 - Tyne and Wear Archives Service (see above) Annual Reports 1941-1973 - Tyne and Wear Archives Service (see above) Membership 1926-1931 - Tyne and Wear Archives Service (see above) Accounts 1922-1943 - Tyne and Wear Archives Service (see above) Orders of Service 1915-1986 - Tyne and Wear Archives Service (see above)
Registration District (BMD):	Newcastle upon Tyne (since 1 July 1837) Link to Register Office website

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) The congregation was listed as Jesmond Synagogue in Jewish Year Books to 1953, and thereafter as Jesmond Hebrew Congregation. ↵
(iii) The Jewish Communities of North-East England by Lewis Olsover (1980) ("Olsover's Book"), p. 46. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by M.T. Glass, hold your cursor over his name. ↵
(iv) Olsover's Book, pp. 45/6. ↵
(v) Olsover's Book, p.45. ↵
(vi) Olsover's Book, p.72. ↵
(vii) to (ix) Reserved.
(x) Rev. Drukker's appointment - Olsover's Book, p.46: his retirement - Olsover's Book p.54. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1916 through 1958, and thereafter as minister emeritus. ↵
(xi) Rabbi Lerner was inducted into office on 11 December 1958 - Olsover's Book, p.54. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1967. ↵
(xii) Rabbi Silberg appointed minister - Olsover's Book, p.54; move to Bournemouth after 7 years - Olsover's Book, p.73. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1968 through 1974. ↵
(xiii) Reserved.
(xiv) Rev. Bindman appointed reader Jewish Chronicle obituary 28 September 1945; died 1945 - Olsover's Book, p.53. He was only listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1922 through 1945/6. ↵
(xv) Michael Jolles's "Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors, etc." - 2024 edition, p. 927. ↵
(xvi) Olsover's Book, p.55 - Rev. Kahan departed in 1962 after 15 Years service. He was listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1949 through 1963. ↵
(xvii) Based upon Rev. Finklestein's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1967 qnd 1968. He is not mentioned in Olsover's Book. ↵
(xviii) and (xix) Reserved.
(xx) Adapted from p. 45 and Appendix 1 (p.205) of Olsover's Book. The executive members of the building committee were: Chairman - Cllr. G. Woolf; Vice-Chairman - M. Rubenstein; Treasurer - J. Cohen; and Secretary - J. Jackson. ↵
(xxi) Unless otherwise stated the data on lay officers (other than the data on the congregation's presidents) has been extracted from Jewish Year Books 1916 through 1986 (the years in which the congregation was listed). Where a person was 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 was listed in Jewish Year Books 1925 through 1930, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1924 and continued in office until 1930). However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and accordingly his actual years of office may differ from those shown here. The year books suspended publication during the war years 1941 through 1945 and generally ceased listing lay officers (other than the secretary) from 1956 through 1973, and thereafter only certain lay officers were listed. In most instances, the officer's given name has been extracted from other sources. ↵
(xxii) Extracted from Appendix 1 to Olsover's Book, p.205. ↵
(xxiii) and (xxiv) Reserved.
(xxv) Although Olsover listed him as M.I Fisher, it appears that this should read M.J. Fisher, which is consitant with Jewish Year Book listings and his later appearance as president (1937-1940). ↵
(xxvi) Based upon text in Olsover's Book, p.49. It is not totally clear that the commencement year was 1915. Mr. Franks died in 1944 ↵
(xxvii) Olsover's Book p.50 refers to Mr. A.B Caller being elected treasurer in 1926, which, if correct, means that A.S. Woolf did not serve the whole period from 1925 to 1929 as indicated in the Jewish Year Book listings. ↵
(xxviii) and (xxix) Reserved.
(xxx) Olsover's Book p.46. ↵
(xxxi) Olsover's Book p.49. ↵
(xxxii) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1939 through 1956. ↵
(xxxiii) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1952 ↵
(xxxiv) Olsover's Book p.46. ↵

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Page created: 3 September 2003
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 27 February 2024
Page most recently amended: 28 August 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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