Southampton Hebrew Congegration

Southampton, Hants

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.

Southampton_Synagogue_Aron_Kodesh
Aron Kodesh, Southampton Synagogue
© Harry & Celia Geffen 2018

Congregation Data

Name:

Southampton Hebrew Congregation

Address:

Mordaunt Road, Inner Avenue, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 6GP (from 1963)⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

The building was previously a Methodist chapel.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Former Addresses:

From 1864 until 1963, the congregation was at Albion Place, High Street, Southampton, a purpose built Italianate synagogue designed by architect Hyman Henry Collins, FRIBA.^(iv)
This synagogue was demolished in 1964 to make way for a carpark.^(v)

2 Middle East Street, Southampton (from at least 1833)^(vi)

Current Status:

Active

Formation:

The Jewish congregation dates from 1833.^(vi)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

The congregation is unaffiliated but under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.

Website:

http://www.sotonhebrew.org.uk/

Split in Congregation:

In the 1830's a split occurred in the congregation over the appointment of J.A. Goldman as shochet, the congregation only being reunited through the intervention of the Chief Rabbi N.M. Adler, shortly after his assuming office.^(ix)

Ministers & Readers, etc.:
(To view a short profile of a minister or reader whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Joseph Abraham Goldman - shochet from 1834 until 1867^(ix)

Rev. Solomon Alexander - minister from 1869 until 1872^(x)

Rev. B. Grossbaum - minister from 1872 until 1874^(xi)

Rev. Isidore Simon - minister from about 1875 until early 1884^(xii)

Rev. Simon Fyne - minister from 1884 until 1897^(xiii)

Rev. Wolff Stoloff - minister from about 1898 until about 1899^(xiv)

Rev. H. Holdinsky - minister from about 1900 until about 1908^(xvii)

Rev. J. Bogdanski Morrison - minister from about 1909 until 1911^(xviii)

Rev. Morris Brown - minister from 1912 until about 1914^(xix)

Rev. M.L. Gordon - minister from 1914 until 1949^(xx)

Rev. Abraham Bernstein - minister from about 1952 until 1953^(xxi)

Rev. Reuven Restan - minister from 1953 until 1958^(xxii)

Rev. Phillip Isaacs - minister from 1959 until 1969^(xxiii)

Rev. Harry Berman - visiting minister from 1969 until 1973^(xxiv)

(Sidney Weintroub also served as lay reader for many years in 1950s to 1980s.)

Lay Officers (1874)^(xxviii):

President - David Davis

Treasurer - Samuel Aaron Jones

Hon. Secretary - Sydney Myers

Registrar of Marriages - H.P. Moseley

Lay Officers (since 1896):

The data below has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, first published in 1896/7.^(xxix)

Presidents

1896-1911 - Michael Emanuel, JP^(xxx)

1911-1914 - Chas. A. Emanuel

1914-1915 - Julius Hyams

1915-1918 - J.M. Millet

1918-1919 - M. Cohen

1919-1921 - Julius Hyams

1921-1926 - A. Jacobs

1926-1931 - E. Grey

1931-1932 - A. Jacobs

1932-1940 - E. Grey

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1947 - E. Grey

1947-1951 - H. Morris

1953-1956 - A. Bernfield

Treasurers

1896-1912 - M. Cohen

1912-1914 - Jacob Franks

1914-1915 - Samuel Kaplan

1915-1918 - A. Morresz

1918-1919 - H. Lesser

1919-1926 - S. Levine

1926-1931 - S. Alterman

1931-1939 - J. Moss

1939-1940 - I. Joshpe

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1948 - I. Joshpe

1948-1949 - G. Morris

1949-1951 - Dr. S.R. Saunders

1951-1953 - no data

1953-1954 - H. Ross

1954-1956 - Dr. S.R. Saunders

Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries

1896-1906 - N. Levy

1906-1911 - Ald. Michael Emanuel, JP^(xxx)

1911-1915 - Robert A. Gerth

1915-1919 - H.M. Dale

1919-1926 - S. Rosenberg

1926-1931 - E. Salaman

1931-1932 - J. Alterman

1932-1940 - J. Morris

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1947 - J. Morris

1947-1948 - E. Wyne

1948-1951 - S. Weintroub, MA

1951-1962 - S. Burke

1962-1963 - N. Rose

1963-1983 - Sidney Weintroub^(xxxi)

Religious Classes:

Hebrew and Religious Classes were established in 1874.

The headmaster was frequently the minister of the congregation, non-minister headmasters include Rev. C.A. Eker (1912-1926) and A. Eker (1931-1947), possibly the same person^(xxxii)

Number of pupils:^(xxxiii)

Year

1896

1899

1907

1908

Boys

14

12

17

34

Girls

11

10

9

29

Total

25

22

26

63

Membership Data:

Number of Seatholders^(xxxvii) For earlier data, see Board of Deputies Returns

1896

1897

1900

1909

1911

1922

22

18

20

36

32

70

Reports & Surveys^(xxviii)

1983 - 48 male (or household) members and 45 female members

1990 - 42 members (comprising 22 households, 9 individual male and 11 individual female members)

1990 - 19 members (comprising 2 households, 4 individual male and 13 individual female members)

2010 and 2016 - listed as having less than 50 members (by household)

Cemetery
Information:

There are two Jewish cemeteries in Southampton. For details see Cemetery Information on Southampton Jewish Community home page.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.

(ii) First listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Book 1964. ↵

(iii) Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland by Sharman Kadish (2015), p.105. ↵

(iv) Carol Herselle Krinsky - Synagogues of Europe - Architecture, History, Meaning, 1996, Appendix I, p. 430 and The Jewish Directory for 1874, by Asher I. Myers. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by H.H. Collins, hold your cursor over his name. ↵

(v) Newspaper cutting of 22 April 1963, which includes a photograph of the Albion Place Synagogue. ↵

(vi) Both of the Orders of Service of which there are images below give this address. However in The Rise of Provincial Jewry by Cecil Roth (1950), the address is given as simply East Street. ↵

(vii) and (xiii) Reserved.

(ix) Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History (2011) by W. Rubinstein (ed.) and M.A. Jolles and H. L. Rubinstein (ass. eds.), p.941. ↵

(x) Minutes of Special Meeting of 23 May 1869 of Exeter Hebrew Congregation (in Exeter Synagogue Archives), reporting that Rev. Alexander was leaving to take up post in Southampton and Jolles's Encyclopaedia. ↵

(xi) Jewish Chronicle report of 3 May 1872 refers to Rev. Grossbaum as the new minister at the congregation and the report of 31 July 1874 refers to him as the newly elected minister of the Hull Congregation, "late of Southampton". He is listed as minister at Southampton the Jewish Directory of 1874 ↵

(xii) Jewish Chronicle report of 15 October 1875 places Rev. I. Simon in Southampton and report of 7 December 1883 states at a meeting of the Council of Administrators Rev. I. Simon "of Southampton" was elected reader of the South Manchester Synagogue. ↵

(xiii) "The ministry of the Reverend Simon Fyne in Swansea: 1899-1906," on-line abstract of an article by Leonard Mars, Jewish Social Studies vol 50 (Winter 1988-spring 1992) pp.83-98. Jewish Chronicle report of 28 January 1898 stated that "The Rev. S. Fyne, late minister at Southampton, officiated and preached in this [Newport] synagogue on Sabbath last." He is also listed as minister of the congregation in the first two Jewish Year Books (1896/7 and 1897/8) ↵

(xiv) Rev. Stoloff is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1898/99. Jewish Chronicle 1897 marriage notice for Rev. W. Stoloff states he is "of Stroud". ↵

(xv) and (xvi) Reserved.

(xvii) Based upon the listing of Rev. H. Holdinsky (also spelled Halonisky and Holonisky) as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1899/1900 through 1907/08. ↵

(xviii) Based upon Rev. Morrison's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1909 (or 1910) through 1911. The post is vacant in the 1912 edition. ↵

(xix) Jewish Chronicle report of 26 January 1912 reporting the election of Rev. Brown as minister and Jewish Year Books 1913 and 1914 listing him as minister of the congregation. ↵

(xx) Rev. Gordon's Jewish Chronicle obituary of July 1949 and his listing as minister of the congregation Jewish Year Books 1915 through 1940 and 1945/6 through 1949. (There were no editions published during the war years) . ↵

(xxi) Based upon Rev. Bernstein's listing as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1953 (the office was listed as vacant in the 1950 through 1952 editions). Jewish Chronicle of 15 May 1953 reports on his induction at Wolverhampton. ↵

(xxii) Based upon Rev. Restan's Jewish Chronicle obituary of 23 May 1958 and his listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1954 through 1958. There was no minister listed for the congregation in the 1959 edition. ↵

(xxiii) Based upon Rev. Isaacs's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1960 through 1970 and Jewish Chronicle report of 14 February 1969 entitled "Southampton minister to retire". ↵

(xxiv) Rev. Berman's Jewish Chronicle obituary of 27 January 1978. ↵

(xxv) to (xxvii) Reserved.

(xxviii) Jewish Directory for 1874 by Asher I. Myers. ↵

(xxix) Where a person is first listed in a Jewish 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 and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. 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 the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1938, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1934 and continued in office until 1938. 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, nor were there any listings of lay officers (other than secretary and later presidents) subsequent to 1956. ↵

(xxx) Was elected Mayor of Southampton in 1895. He reportedly served as a warden of the congregation for 26 years. ↵

(xxxi) S. Weintroub was actually listed as president in Jewish Year Books from 1974 through 1981 (as well as from 1984 through 1988) and as there was no hon. secretary listed at such time, it is assumed that he also performed the function of secretary. ↵

(xxxii) Jewish Chronicle report of 26 January 1912 refers to Rev. Eker's appointment. He was listed as headmaster of the classes in Jewish Year Books 1914 through 1926. ↵

(xxxiii) Data extracted from relevant Jewish Year Books. ↵

(xxxiv) to (xxxvi) Reserved.

(xxxvii) As reported in Jewish Year Books. ↵

(xxxviii) 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. ↵

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

On JCR-UK

Gallery of Photographs taken in the Synagogue, 2018 and 2023.
Chief Rabbi's Questionnaire of 1845 - Chief Rabbi's Questionnaire of 1845 - Congregational Data and Educational Data & Other Remarks.

On Third Party websites

Object in Our Synagogue - Southampton Synagogue, a journey through local and global history (pdf file)

For Other Online Articles and Other Material relating to this Congregation
including Notable Former Jewish Residents of Southampton,
see Southampton Jewish Community homepage

Southampton Jewish Community homepage

Jewish Congregations in Hampshire

Jewish Communities of England homepage

Page created: 22 March 2005
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 11 May 2021
Page most recently amended: 16 August 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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

Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk

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.