Wolverton United Synagogue Membership Group

Name:

Wolverton United Synagogue Membership Group
(sometimes referred to as the Haversham Jewish Community)

Address:

The congregation initially met at Bradwell Council School, St James' Street (off Newport Road)⁽ⁱ⁾

The war-time synagogue consisted of a Nissan hut erected in a field close to the homes of the members of the community.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

The address in 1945 was 3 Wolverton Road, Haversham, near Wolverton, Buckinghamshire,⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ although it is uncertain whether this was the Nissan hut referred to above.

Formation :

The congregation was founded in 1941 by war-time evacuees resident in Wolverton, Haversham, Bradwell, Stony Stratford and surrounding districts, and formed at the initiative of Rev. S. Rapoport.^(iv)

Among the founders of the community were members of the Aaronberg family - brothers Sam, Lou and Bert (later, Alston). Bert had been requested by the British Government to set up a factory in a `safe` location (in the vicinity of Wolverton) to make uniforms for the armed forces. He decided that in order to run the factory efficiently and still keep his main factory operating in Mare Street, Hackney, London, the three brothers, a brother-in-law and three sisters would all oscillate between the two factories ^(v)

Affiliation:

The community became a United Synagogue Membership Group in 1941.^(vi)

Date Closed:

Closed in about 1946.^(vii)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi - Orthodox

Minister & Secretary:

Rev. S. Rapaport served as minister from at least 1941 to at least 1942.^(ix)

Rev. Jacob Goldstein (later known as Rev. Jack Grant) served as minister and secretary some time after March 1942 until about 1946.^(x)

Lay Officers:

Chairman - A. Gould from 1941 to at least 1943^(xiii)

Wardens - W. Weinbaum and K. Feigenbaum in and about 1943^(xiv)

Financial Representative (Treasurer) - S. Bloom from at least 1943 until about 1945/6^(xv)

President - K. Feigenbaum in about 1945/6^(xvi)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi - Orthodox

Registration District (BMDs):

See registration district details on Milton Keynes home page.

Notes & Sources
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