Nottingham Hebrew Congregation

(i) Nelson Fisher in his Eight Hundred Years states that drew heavily on an earlier unpublished historical account of the Nottingham Jewish community by Abraham Lassman ("Lassman"), who served for many years as the congregation's secretary. ↵

(ii) Reserved.

(iii) Congregation's website, accessed April 2023 ↵

(iv) Eight Hundred Years, pp.105,108. ↵

(v) Jewish Chronicle, report of 21 August 2017. ↵

(vi) and (vii) Reserved.

(viii) Eight Hundred Years, pp.42-47. ↵

(ix) Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland by Sharman Kadish (2015), p.158. ↵

(x) and (xi) Reserved.

(xii) Eight Hundred Years p.40 ↵

(xiii) Listed in Appendx II (pp.189-194) to Eight Hundred Years. Additional information is to be found in the footnotes below ↵

(xiv) Mentioned in a press report. There were at the time two streets in Nottingham of this name, and it is considered more likely that the synagogue was in what later became known as Old Glasshouse Lane. ↵

(xv) Mentioned in Directories of 1842 and 1844. ↵

(xv) Chief Rabbi's Questionnaire of 1845 refers to a "Room hired annually". Reseach by Nelson Fisher's teams identifies it as a room in Barker's Gate, previously used as a Calvinist chapel and now used as a bar. ↵

(xvii) and (xviii) Reserved.

(xix) These facilities at Joel Davis's house are also described more fully than usual in the return for the Sunday Census in 1851. ↵

(xx) According to a letter to the Jewish Chronicle of September 1858, these premises were the upper chambers of a factory producing pork sausages and pork pies, with the machinery operating during day-time services. ↵

(xxi) The Balloon Court site was taken over by Victoria Station in the 1890s and subsequently became part of the Victoria Centre. ↵

(xxii) The Clare Street premises were above a slaughterhouse and thus a somewhat unsatisfactory location. ↵

(xxiii) This premises were held under a lease. The congregation was however obliged to move from the Beck Lane premises when the City Corporation decided to demolish the premises and open a new street, Heathcote Street, in 1873, for which the congregation received £200 compensation. ↵

(xxiv) The George Street premises, which were rented for £21 per annum, were behind a building that used to be an industrial school. According to the Jewish Directory of 1874 the synagogue was "not a special building, but a large room fitted for Devine Service. ..... Steps are being taken by the Congregation to procure a suitable site for building a small synagogue". ↵

(xxv) These rented premises in Greyfriar Gate, though larger than George Street, still did not provide sufficient space and also housed Hebrew and religious classes. There were accessed by three flights of stone steps, and were situated below a room where dozens of sewing machines operated during working hours. ↵

(xxvi) and (xxvii) Reserved.

(xxviii) Jewish Year Book 1896/7 and Eight Hundred Years p.39. ↵

(xxix) Jewish Year Book 1909 and reports of synagogue premises and ministers in Nottingham, The claim that a Jewish community was in existence in Nottinham by 1805 appears to be without foundattion. ↵

(xxx) Eight Hundred Years p.33. ↵

(xxxi) Eight Hundred Years p.108. ↵

(xxxii) Reserved.

(xxxiii) Included in this list are those clergy, up until about the 1880s, who although described a reader and or shochet, were the congregation's only religious leader, and thus effectively carried out the duties of the minister. ↵

(xxxiv) Eight Hundred Years pp.30 and 174. ↵

(xxxv) Eight Hundred Years pp.174/5. ↵

(xxxvi) Eight Hundred Years p.175. Rev. Kisch is believed to have come from Bohemia ↵

(xxxvii) Eight Hundred Years pp.31/2 and 175, based upon a report in the Nottingham Journal of 10 February 1827 of a theoogical dispute between Rev. Symonds, minister of the Nottingham synagogue and the minister of a local Congregational chapel. ↵

(xxxviii) Eight Hundred Years p.175. Rev. Marshall was described as "the eldest son of the High Priest of Warsaw". ↵

(xxxix) and (xl) Reserved.

(xli) Eight Hundred Years p.176, based upon an entry in Whites Directory for Nottingham, describing Rev. Volf as the Jewish minister. ↵

(xli) Eight Hundred Years p.176. He also appears, as Mr. Friedman, in the Chief Rabbi's Questionnaire of 1845 both in the Congregational Data and in thr Educational Data. ↵

(xliii) Eight Hundred Years p.176 and Jolles's Encyclopaedia of Chazanum, etc. ↵

(xliv) Jewish Chronicle and Hebrew Observer of 30 April 1858 included a notice soliciting charitable contributions from readers following the death by accident of Rev. L Goldberg at his new home at Drury Hill, Nottingham. The notice states that Rev. Goldberg served the congregation for the last eight years as Chazan and shochet and was well regarded for his Torah learning. He left a widow and five children "totally bereft of support," and the congregation was too small to raise by itself sufficient money to help the family start a small business to secure a livelihood. ↵

(xlv) Eight Hundred Years p.177, quoting Lassman. Little is known about this person. ↵

(xlvi) and (xlvii) Reserved.

(xlviii) Eight Hundred Years p.177.
The Jewish Chronicle of 4 September 1868 Reported: NOTTINGHAM — TESTIMONIAL- at the house of the President, Mr. J. Weinberg, to present the Rev. D. Meyer, minister of the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation, an address and a silver cup on his retirement in recognition of his valuable service..."presented to you, as a mark of satisfaction for the attentive, obliging, courteous, and dignified manner in which you have for the last ten years performed the very arduous functions of [in Hebrew] baal tokeah, shochet and bodek, chazan and baal koreh." ↵

(xlix) Eight Hundred Years p.177. Lassman refers to him as Joseph Levy. ↵

(l) Eight Hundred Years p.177 (in which he is referred to as Liechtenstein).
In December 1870, the Nottingham congregation advertised for a chazan and shochet and on 2 June 1871 The Jewish Chronicle contained a report from Bath that the services during the late Holydays were ably rendered by the Rev. I. Greenberg, the new reader, who has succeeded the Rev. B. Lichtenstein, who has gone to Nottingham. On 15 January 1875 The Jewish Chronicle included a report on the departure of the Rev. B. Liechtenstein from the Nottingham Congregation "to fulfil his appointment as minister at Dunedin, New Zealand" and detailed the presentations made to him. Rev. B. Liechtenstein is listed as reader of the congregation in the Jewish Directory for 1874, edited by Asher I. Myers. ↵

(li) Eight Hundred Years p.177. ↵

(lii) Eight Hundred Years pp.177/8. Although Lassman stated that Samuel Brown left Nottingham to take up a similar post in Derby, Fisher deems this unlikely, although his brother, (Abraham) Saul Brown, lived in Derby and some time after leaving Nottingham, Samuel officiated at a wedding of one of Saul's children in Derby. Fisher puts his date of leaving Nottingham at 1885, but as his successor was resident there in 1883, the latter year seems more probable. According to Fisher, after . ↵

(liii) and (liv) Reserved.

(lv) Eight Hundred Years p.178. Jewish Chronocle report of 19 October 1883 places Rev. Scheff in Nottingham and the Official record of Naturalisation places Rev. Scheff in Nottingham in 1888, he was minister in North Shields by 1890. Fisher gives his starting date as 1885, but 1883 appears more likely, as he was already in Nottingham in that year. ↵

(lvi) Jewish Chronicle report 1 April 1887. Not mentioned in Eight Hundred Years. ↵

(lvii) Eight Hundred Years p.179. The Jewish Chronicle of 28 November 1890 reported that the Rev. Harris Cohen of Merthyr was at a general meeting held on the previous Sunday, elected minister and religious teacher to the Nottingham Hebrew congregation. On 26 June 1903, it reported that the Rev. Harris Cohen had been elected minister of the Stoke Newington Synagogue. Rev. Harris is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1896/7 (the first edition published) through 1902/3. ↵

(lviii) The Jewish Chronicle of 18 September 1903 contained an announcement from Rev. Levin expressing New Year greetings to “all his congregants” from an address at Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham. ↵

(lix) Eight Hundred Years p.179, quoting records in the Chief Rabbis Office. ↵

(lx) The Jewish Chronicle of 23 September 1904 placed Rev. Jerevitch in Nottingham (aged 17), as headmaster at the Hebrew school. On 10 January 1908 it referred to Mr. Jerevitch who "was appointed head-teacher to the Nottingham Hebrew and Religion Classes in 1904 two years ago was also elected minister and second reader to the local congregation." The Jewish Chronicle of 4 September 1908 reported from Cardiff that Aat a general meeting of the congregation, held on Sunday, the Rev. H. Jerevitch, of Nottingham, was unanimously elected. Eight Hundred Years p.179 inaccurately gives Rev. Jerevitch's year of leaving as 1912. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1906/7 and 1907/8. ↵

(lxi) Reserved.

(lxii) Eight Hundred Years, p.180. The Jewish Chronicle of 30 June 1916 referred to Rabbi J. Kyanski as having recently been appointed Head Teacher and Minister of the congregation, and on 23 April 1920 it reported that Rabbi J. Kyanski, of Nottingham, had accepted a unanimous call of the members of the Old Hebrew Congregation [Newcastle] to be their Minister and Headmaster. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1918 through 1920, there being no minister listed from 1909 through 1917. ↵

(lxiii) Eight Hundred Years, p.180. The Jewish Chronicle of 13 August 1920 reported from Nottingham that the Rev. S. Mestel, M.A., of Bristol, has been unanimously elected minister of the Hebrew Congregation and hadmaster of the Religion Classes, to take up his duties before the High Festivals. On 23 March 1923 it reported that the Rev. S. Mestel, M.A., minister of the Nottingham Congregation, had accepted a unanimous "call" from the East Melbourne Congregation, Australia, to fill the vacant post of minister there. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1921 through 1923. ↵

(lxiv) Eight Hundred Years, pp.88/9 (who states that he handed in his resignation, effective one year from July 1935) and 180/1. The Jewish Chronicle of 16 April 1923 places Rev. Levene in Nottingham. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1925 through 1936. ↵

(lxv) Eight Hundred Years, pp.181/2. Nottingham Journal of 13 August 1937 reported that "the Rev. Dr. S. Goldman, M.A., new minister of the Jewish Synagogue, Chaucer-street, Nottingham, began his duties yesterday." The Jewish Chronicle of 5 May 1950 reported Rev. Goldman's appointment at St Johns Wood, London. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1938 through 1950. ↵

(lxvi) Eight Hundred Years, p.182. The Jewish Chronicle of 16 March 1951 reported on the induction service for Rabbi Posen in Nottingham. and on 14 July 1967 it reported that a presentation had been made on Rabbi Posen's impending departure from Nottingham to take up a position in Zurich. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1952 through 1967. ↵

(lxvii) and (lxviii) Reserved.

(lxix) Eight Hundred Years, p.182. The Jewish Chronicle of 7 July 1972 reported that, after occupying the position of minister of the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation for four years, Rabbi Philip T. Greenberg had tendered his resignation to take up a teaching post at the Hasmonean Grammar School, London. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1969 through 1972. ↵

(lxx) Eight Hundred Years, pp.182/3. The Jewish Chronicle of 30 June 1972 reported that the Rev. Cyril Braslavsky, minister of the Blackpool United Hebrew Congregation, had accepted a "call" to the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation as minister, reader and teacher and is expected to take up his new duties in October, and on 14 March 1980 it carried his obituary - he died in office. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1973 through 1980. ↵

(lxxi) Eight Hundred Years, p.183. The Jewish Chronicle of 10 Octiber 1980 reported that the Rev Michael Atkins, minister of the Croydon and district Federation Synagogue, had accepted a "call" to be the minister of the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation in succession to the late Rev Cyril Braslavsky. On 8 April 1988 it reported that the Rev Michael Atkins had been dismissed in November as minister of the Nottingham Synagogue and that he had been at Nottingham for seven years. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1981 through 1987 and was the last minister to be listed for the congregation in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(lxxii) Eight Hundred Years, p.183. The Jewish Chronicle of 30 November 1990 reported of the appointment of Rabbi Perez, the first Separdi rabbi of the Nottingham community. On 26 January 2018 it repported that the rabbi of Nottingham Hebrew Congregation had been made redundant at the end of the month after 27 years’ service. Rev. Perez was never listed as minister for the congregation in any Jewish Year Books. The office of minister was vacant from 1987 to 1990 and has not been filled since the departure of Rev. Perez. ↵

(lxxiii) to (lxxv) Reserved.

(lxxvi) The Jewish Chronicle Charity list of 27 June 1878 places Rev. Slevansky in Nottingham. On 13 February 1880 The Jewish Chronicle places him in Nottingham but in 1881 it places him in Leeds. Not listed in Eight Hundred Years. ↵

(lxxvii) According to Eight Hundred Years, pp.184/5, Rev. Valentine, first appears in the records of the Nottingham Hebrew congregation as a seller of lulavim and etrogim, became a teacher at the school which met at the Peoples Hall and, in 1883, signed the Marriage Register as "Minister". It is also stated that after leaving Nottingham he was a long-serving minister at the Withington Spanish and Portuguese Congregation in Manchester. However, the Rev. J. Valentine who served nearly 30 Years in Manchester, commenced in 1874, so either the date in incorrect or they are not the same person. ↵

(lxxviii) Eight Hundred Years, p.185. The Jewish Chronicle of 16 December 1882 refers to Rev. Myers as headmaster of school, which had been in in existence for about a year. In the 1885 Jewish Chronicle Obituary of his father, Rev. J.E. Myers is described as chazan and schoolmaster at Nottingham. In the same year, the community advertised for a successor. ↵

(lxxix) Eight Hundred Years, p.178/9, which gives 1888 as his start year in Nottingham. The Jewish Chronicle Obituary to Rev. Schloss of 6 February 1925 states that in 1914 he was the recipient of a presentation from the members of the Nottingham Congregation on the occasion of his completion of twenty five years as a minister in that town. The Jewish Chronicle of 11 July 1919 reported on Margate's newly appointed minister and reader of the congregation, the Rev. Alexander Schloss late of Nottingham. He is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1899/1900 through 1919 (except 1918). ↵

(lxxx) The Jewish Chronicle report of 21 January 1912. ↵

(lxxxi) to (lxxxii) Reserved.

(lxxxiii) Eight Hundred Years, p.180. The Jewish Chronicle of 13 August 1909 reporting from Middlesbrough on a presentation of a marble clock and ornaments, with suitable inscriptions, to Mr. D. Rabinovitch, assistant teacher and reader for the past eight years of the Hebrew Congregation, who is leaving to fulfil a similar position at Nottingham, and on 16 October 2014 reporting from South Shields that at a general meeting of the congregation, the Rev. D. Rabinovitch, of Nottingham, was elected Chazan, Shochet, Teacher, etc. He is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1911 through 1914, jointly with Rev. Schloss. ↵

(lxxxiv) Eight Hundred Years, p.180. ↵

(lxxxv) Eight Hundred Years, p.185. The Jewish Chronicle of 5 September 1919 reported on the installation the previous week of the Rev. A. Miller, the newly-appointed chazan at Nottingham. He is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1925 through 1950 (except for the war years when publication ceased), jointly with Rev. K. Joffe from 1947 through 1950. ↵

(lxxxvi) Eight Hundred Years, p.187. Bernard Landau is also listed as a shamas (1940-1944). ↵

(lxxxvii) and (lxxxviii) Reserved.

(lxxxix) Eight Hundred Years, p.187. ↵

(xc) Eight Hundred Years, p.185. Rev. Joffe is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1947 through 1950 jointly with Rev. A. Miller. ↵

(xci) Eight Hundred Years, pp.185/6, give incorrect dates for Rev. Schwartz term of office. The Jewish Chronicle of 17 March 1950 reported the appointment of Rabbi Schwartz at Nottingham and on 18 September 1959, it reported that a Kidduush was held in Nottingham in honour of the Rev. and Mrs. Maurice Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz is leaving Nottingham to take up a position at Hounslow. He is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1951 through 1960. ↵

(xcii) An industrious minority: a history of the Bolton Jewish community by Hilary Thomas and John Cowell pp. 225-6 He is not listed for this congregation in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(xciii) Eight Hundred Years, p.186. The Jewish Chronicle reported on 20 January 1961 on Rev Rosenfeld's induction service and on 1 December 1972 it reported on Rev Rosenfeld's retirement "after 14 years service", which appears to be an exageration. He is listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1962 through 1973. ↵

(xciv) and (xcv) Reserved.

(xcvi) Where a person is first listed as secretary in a year book, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was listed as vacant. Initially year books corresponded to the Hebrew year, and thus ran roughly from autumn of one year - the year of publication - until autumn of the next year. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if a person is listed in Jewish Year Books as secretary from 1919 through 1924, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1918 and continued in office until 1924. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. Jewish Year Books were not published during World War II subsequent to 1940. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of secretaries for this congregation for a number of years, including 1918 through 1925, nor subsequent to 1966.  ↵

(xcvii) Reserved.

(xcviii) David Solomon's orbituary in the Nottingham Review of 19 September 1845 stated that he resided in Nottingham more than 40 years, was "for a long time superintendent of the Jewish synagogue", was one of five signatories to the petition requesting land for a Jewish cemetery in 1821 and was also instrumental in establishing the rival congregation in Clare Street He left Nottingham for Manchester in about 1840. (Eight Hundred Years, p.33). ↵

(xcix) Eight Hundred Years, pp.61/3. Jonah Samuel came to Nottingham from Ipswich. ↵

(c) Eight Hundred Years, pp.60 - Theses dates are not certain. Jacob Weinberg played a major role in the synagoge and funding much of the cost of constructind the congregation's mikvehs and providing a substantial donation for the purchase and construction of the Chaucer Street synagogue. ↵

(ci) Eight Hundred Years, pp.57/8 and Davis Meyer's biography on p. 177. In the Jewish Directory for 1874, edited by Asher I. Myers, he was described as Warden and Treasurer. ↵

(cii) Eight Hundred Years, p.61. Albert Cahn was born in Bavaria in 1854. He came to Nottingham from Cardiff. He was the father of Sir Julien Cahn, Bart. ↵

(ciii) Eight Hundred Years, p.61. T. Alexander (died 1931), president "probably in succession to Albert Cahn". ↵

(civ) Reserved.

(cv) Listed in Eight Hundred Years as J. Shakoschansky. However, elsewhere in the text (and in Jewish Year Books), the spelling is Sakoschansky. ↵

(cvi) These listings of president (as well as presidents from 1957) did not appear in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(cvii) Judah ben Hassan (1805-1885) came to Nottingham from Gibraltar. He was paid to two shillings aweek to act as a beadle and minyan man. Eight Hundred Years. p. 186. ↵

(cviii) L. Glick from Latvia, came to Nottingham in about 1894. He married a wife from Leeds. Eight Hundred Years. pp. 186/7. ↵

(cix) Percy (or Pesach) Simmons and his wife were Holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia. Eight Hundred Years. p. 187. ↵

(cx) Moshe Szold (d. 1998) was a Holocaust survivor, originally from Hungary, who came from Nottingham from Cardiff. He later retired to the United States, where he died. Eight Hundred Years. p. 188. ↵

(cxi) Reserved.

(cxii) These listings of treasurer (as well as treasurers from 1957) did not appear in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(cxii) Based upon J. Sakoschansky's listing as treasurer in Jewish Year Books 1915 through 1917. He was not listed as treasurer in Appendix V to Eight Hundred Years. ↵

(cxiv) Eight Hundred Years, p. 92, refers to Max Nepolsky as treasurer in mid 1920s and again in the 1940s. However, in Appendix V he is listed as N. Nepolsky in the 1940s. This is presumed to be an error. As this was during war-time cessation of publication, there was no listings in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(cxv) to (cxvii) Reserved.

(cxviii) The following, in a number of instances, contains somewhat of an overlap of dates. On occasions this may well be due to the fact that the title "Secretary" could be referring to the secretary of the congregation or the secretary (or registrar) for marriages when these posts were not held by the same person. In addition, from 1947 through 1956 Jewish Year Books listed both a secretary and an hon. secretary for the congregation. ↵

(cxix) Eight Hundred Years, p. 64, refers to "Secretaries for Marriages and/or synagogue secretaries (H. Cohen, circa 1900; Alexander Jonas, 1860, and before him Woolf Jonas, 1854)". ↵

(cxx) Eight Hundred Years, p. 63, refers to Lesser Levy's service as Secretary for Marriages (1860-1899) and his fatal accident in 1899 (which page also refers to a Joel Levy's service as synagogue secretary without any indication of dates). Lesser Levy is listed as secretary in the Jewish Directory of 1874. He is not listed in Jewish Year Books, the first secretary listed being G. Rabinovitch from 1896/7. ↵

(cxxi) Abraham Lassman (1880-1944) wrote an unpublished history of the Nottingham Jewish community, upon which Fisher drew heavily in compiling his Eight Hundred Years. Fisher refers (p.12) to Lassman serving as secretary of the congregation "for many year before 1914 and between the two World Wars", without giving specific dates, adding (on p. 6$) that Lassman was the longest serving secretary of the synagogue. He is listed as secretary in Jewish Year Books 1909 through 1917, but as there is no listing of a secretary again until 1924, it is by no means certain that his first period in office terminated in 1917. Similarly he is listed again from 1932, such listing continuing until World War II (when publication ceased in 1940). It is unclear whether he continued to serve until his death in 1944. (He is actually still listed as secretary in the 1945/6 edition, which is clearly an error.) ↵

(cxxii) Eight Hundred Years. p.187, refers to Rabbi Newman as, inter alia, secretary to the congregation and secretary for marriages from 1944 until 1947, although it is unclear if he held both positions at the same time. He is also listed as "secretary" in the Jewish Year Books 1947 and 1948, with a different person listed as "hon secretary", although he appears to have left Nottingham in 1947. Rabbi Newman is also listed as a shamas (1944-1947) in Eight Hundred Years. p.187. ↵

(cxxiii) Listied erroneously as J. Springer in Jewish Year Books 1947 through 1949 and correctly as J. Spungin in the editions 1950 through 1956. He is listed as "hon. secretary" and there is another person (as listed here) named as "secretary" in each edition in which he appears. ↵

(cxxiv) Gershom Young, who came to Nottingham from South Wales, is also listed as a shamas (1956-1958) in Eight Hundred Years. p.187, He died in 1973. ↵

(cxxv) to (cxxviii) Reserved.

(cxxix) Paper on Nottingham from "Provincial Jewry in Victorian Britain" - papers for a conference at University College, London, convened by the Jewish Historical Society of England, prepared by Aubrey Newman - 6th July 1975. ↵

(cxxx) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by 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. ↵

(cxxxi) Charities Commission website, accessed 26 April 2023. ↵

(cxxxiii) to (cxxxix) Reserved.

(cxxxx) Extracted from Jewish Year Books for the relevant years. ↵

(cxxxxi) Eight Hundred Years, pp.57/8. ↵

(cxxxxii) Eight Hundred Years, p.81 (from President's Report to AGM of 1917). ↵

(cxxxxiii) Eight Hundred Years, p.116. ↵

(cxxxxiv) Eight Hundred Years, p.86. It was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵

(cxxxxiv) Eight Hundred Years, p.76. ↵