|
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 the congregation
discussed below, which can be reached
by clicking on the congregation's logo below.
Borough of Watford
Watford, in the the county of
Hertfordshire, is a local government district (with borough status). Until 1974,
it was a municipal borough. It has a population of about 80,000 and is situated
a few miles to the northeast of the administrative boundary of Greater London.
Watford & District Synagogue, Nascot Road, June 2018
© David Shulman 2018
Watford Jewish Community
Although there
are records of Jews living in Watford from the early
nineteenth century, there were no formal congregations established until well
into the twentieth century. A congregation was formed in 1918,
which lasted until the mid 1920's, and several congregations were
established during WWII. The present congregation was established in 1946
Congregation Data |
Name: |
Watford and District Synagogue |
Former or Alternative Names: |
Watford Synagogue Watford
Affiliated Synagogue(i)
Watford & Bushey Affiliated Synagogue(ii)
Watford & District Hebrew Congregation Watford Hebrew Congregation
See also Earlier
Congregations below. |
Address: |
16 Nascot Road, Watford, Herts WD17 3RE (from
about 1957(iii),
present building dates from 1992(iv))
Previously at 38 Clarendon Road, Watford (from
at least 1949(v)) |
Current Status: |
Active |
Date Founded: |
The present congregation dates from December 1946.(vii)
There were, however, a number of predecessor congregations (see
below) and it is possible that the
congregation was formed to replace and unite two rival congregations
that had emerged, namely the congregation meeting in the Methodist Hall
and the Garston & North Watford Hebrew Congregation (as discussed
below). |
Ritual: |
Orthodox - Ashkenazi |
Affiliation: |
The congregation joined the
United Synagogue
as an affiliated synagogue in
1948(viii),
becoming a constituent (full mmber) synagogue in about
1994.(ix)
The Congregation is part of the 5+1 group, consisting of six small United Synagogue communities, five in Hertfordshire and one
in Bedfordshire.(x)
The 5+1 has a intercommunal social programme intended to match those provided by large synagogues, whilst retaining the closeness of smaller communities. |
Website: |
http://www.watfordsynagogue.org.uk |
Ministers & Rabbinical Team(xi):
(To view a short profile of a minister
shown in blue - hold the cursor over his name.) |
Rev. Mordechai Miloslawer
- 1947 until about 1950(xii)
Rabbi Dr. Arnost Zvi Ehrman
- 1976(xiii)
Dr. Lewis H. Glinert
- about 1980 until about 1985(xiv)
Geoffrey Turetsky - about 1988 unti about 1990(xv)
Rabbi Mark L. Solomon
- 1990 until 1992(xvii)
Rabbi Aaron Blackman
- 1993 until about 1996(xviii)
Rabbi Daniel Roselaar
(& Rebbetzen Na'amah Roselaar)- about 1996/97(xix)
Rabbi Jeremy Rosten - about 1999 until about 2001(xx)
Rabbi Barry Lerer
(& Rebbetzen Naomi Lerer)
- January 2002 until June 2006(xxi)
Rabbi Ephraim Levine
- 2006 until about 2019(xxii)
Rabbi Mordechai Chalk
(& Rebbetzen Shira Chalk)
- May 2020 to present (December 2022)(xxiii)
|
Officers (to 1950)(xxiv): |
President or Chairman
1946-47 - S. Gordon (Pres.)
1946-47 - W. Gasson (Ch.)
c.1947-48 - S. Hudes (Ch.)
c.1948-50 - Jack Goldbart (Pres.)
Treasurer
1946-50 - D. Aaronson
|
Vice Chairman
1946-47 - S.Hudes
c.1947-48 - W. Gasson
c.1948-50 - S. Cossock
Hon. Secretary
1946-50 - M. Garelick(xxv)
|
Officers (early 1950s)(xxiv): |
Wardens(xxvi)
c. 1950-51 - Jack Goldbart & S. Cossack
c. 1950-51 - Jack Goldbart & H. Aaronson
c. 1953-55 - Jack Goldbart & S. Cossock
c. 1955-56 - Jack Goldbart & S. M. Hudes
|
Financial Representative(xxvi)
c.1950-52 - L. Cohen
c.1952-53 - G. Romain
c.1953-56 - L. Cohen
Hon. Secretary
c. 1950-1960 - Mrs. S. Goldbart
|
Membership Data: |
United Synagogue(xxvii)
- Number of male seat-holders:
1948 |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
45 |
53 |
77 |
105 |
Reports & Surveys(xxviii)
1977 - 190 male (or household) members and 32 female members
1983 - 99 male (or household) members and 24 female members
1990 - 107 members (comprising 77 households, 1 individual male and 29 female members)
1996 - 139 members (comprising 132 households, 2 individual male and 5 female members)
2010 - listed as having
100 to 199 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having
50 to 99 members (by household) |
Pre-WWII
Congregation: |
The
Watford & Bushey Hebrew Congregation
(see separate page)
was active from 1918 until no later than 1927. |
WWII Congregations: |
During World War II, a number of congregation
were organised in Watford and surrounding areas, presumably in part due
to the influx of evacuees from central London. It is by no means
certain of the exact relationship of one with the other or with Watford &
District congregation ultimately established in 1946.
Congregation organised by Rev. Freeman
Rev. E. Freedman of Abbots Langley in January 1941 appears to have
organised Sabbath morning services in the Watford area(xxix)
although it is uncertain which, if any, or the congregations listed
below developed from Rev. Freedman's efforts.
Congregation at The Gables, Heathfield
Road, Bushey In May 1941, services were
first held by the recently-inaugurated Watford & Bushey Hebrew Congregation
(no apparent relationship with previous congregation of same name) at The Gables,
Heathfield Road, Bushey, the home of a Mr. Bard.(xxx)
After 1942, there is no further mention of this congregation.
Congregation at
Methodist Hall (later Spiritualist Hall), Queen's Road
In June 1941, sevices were first held at the Methodist Hall
91 Queen's Street, Watford by the (subsequently named) Watford &
District Hebrew Congregation (Hon. Secretary L. Dunitz).(xxxi)
Based upon press reports this congregation continued to hold weekly
services until at least 1945.
Garston and North Watford Hebrew
Congregation It would appear that in
1942, High Holy Day services were held both in North Watford (St Peter’s Hall, 58 Tudor Drive) and Garston
(The Hall, 3 Horseshoe Lane)(xxxii)
as well as at the Methodist Hall.
In June 1944, there is the first reference to the Garston & North Watford
Hebrew Congregation, with services taking place in Parkgate School,
Parkgate Road, Watford.(xxxiii)
Thereafter, there are frequent references to the congregation in press
report, holding weekly services until late 1946. This congregation is
also listed for the first and only time in the Jewish Year Book 1947 (the only Watford
congregation listed that year), with Mr. Garelick as
secretary. In December 1946, Mr.Garelick is the person who convenes the
meeting for formation of the Watford & District Synagogue and is elected
the newly formed congregation's first hon. secretary.
|
Charitable Status: |
As a constituent of the United Synagogue, the
congregation operates within that organisation's registered charity
status (registered charity no. 242552).
|
Registration District: |
Hertfordshire(xxxiv) -
Link to Register Office website.
|
Notes &
Sources (↵
returns to text above)
|
On-line Articles and Other Material relating to
the Watford Jewish Community
on JCR-UK
|
Watford Jewish Cemetery Information
Although there is no Jewish cemetery in Watford, the United Syngogue
cemetery in Bushey is situated just a short distance from the boundary with
Watford.
(see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue)
|
Watford Jewish Population Data
|
2001 |
892 |
(2001
Census results) |
2011 |
1,023 |
(2011
Census results) |
2021 |
944 |
(2021
Census results) |
The above census result figures represent those who
answered the voluntary question 'What is your religion?' by clicking the category
'Jewish' among the eight check-box options (another of which was 'No religion'). However, between 6.0% to
7.7% of the population nationally did not answer the question and the
figure would not have included those who considered themselves Jews by
ethnicity but not by religion, and accordingly the actual number of Jews
would be higher than the figures shown.
|
List of United Synagogue Congregations
Jewish Congregations in Hertfordshire
Jewish Congregations in Greater London and its Outskirts
Jewish Communities of England home page
Page created: 21 May 2006
Data significantly expanded and
notes added: 15 July 2018
Latest revision or update: 25 December 2022
Explanation of Terms |
About JCR-UK |
JCR-UK home page
Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk
(Note: This is to contact JCR-UK, not the above Congregation)
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.
Copyright © 2002 - 2024 JCR-UK. All Rights Reserved
|
|