Name

Terenure Hebrew Congregation

Current Status:

In a gradual process that took place between 1999 and 2004, the Dublin Hebrew Congregation (DHC) of Adelaide Road merged with the independent Terenure Hebrew Congregation (THC). In January 1999, general meetings of both congregations agreed on a merger⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ and later that year the DHC closed its Adelaide Road synagogue and moved its services to the synagogue of THC in Rathfarnham Road.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ On 15 December 2004 the formal merger between the two congregations was completed when both congregations simultaneously approved the merger agreement.^(iv) The new merged congregation assumed the name Dublin Hebrew Congregation^(v) and holds its services at the Terenure Synagogue.

In order to avoid potential confusion, activities of the merged congregation (in light of its name) will generally be dealt with on JCR-UK's Dublin Hebrew Congregation page, although such congregation is also the successor to the THC.

Address:

32a Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, Dublin D6W VE89.

The site, then known as Leoville (opposite the then Classic Cinema), had been purchased by Woulfe Freedman and the violinist Erwin Goldwater for £1,490 and donated by them to the congregation. Initially, a Nissen hut was erected in the grounds to serve as a temporary synagogue^(viii) from Rosh Hashana 4 October 1948.^(ix) Construction of a new synagogue began on the site in August 1952 and the new purpose-built synagogue, designed by Irish architect Wilfrid Cantwell, with a 600 seating capacity, was completed and dedicated on 30 August 1953.^(x)

The synagogue was the object of an arson attack on 9 February 1966, the internal fittings and religious artefacts being being extensively damaged and several siffrei torah were destroyed, although the main structure was undamaged. The adjacent Nissen hut, which had been turned into a function hall, the Samuel Taca Hall, was unscathed and was quickly re-converted to a synagogue and no Shabbat services were interrupted. The synagogue, newly refurbished following the fire, was reopened and rededicated on 26 May 1968. It now included beautiful stained-glass windows on the north and south walls (designed by Stanley Tomlin).^(xi)

Former Name:

Rathmines Hebrew Congregation (from 1936 until about 1948)^(xiv)

Former Addresses:

52 Grosvenor Road, Rathgar, Dublin (1940 to about 1948)^(xv)

These premises were purchased in April 1940, with the help of a loan from the Provincial Bank, but by the late 1940s they were already too small and, as plans for a proposed single united synagogue for Dublin had been abandoned, the congregation proceeded with the move to Terenure.^(xvi)

6 Grosvenor Place, Rathmines, Dublin (1936 to 1940) ^(xvii)

These premises consisted of rooms in a large Victorian suburban house, rented at 35 shillings a week from Boruch Citron, situated in a residential area close to Rathmines and Rathgar and just off Kenilworth Square. However by 1940 it was clear that these rooms were too small for the growing congregation.^(xviii)

Formation:

A meeting was held on 26 September 1936 to address "the urgency of setting up a place of worship conveniently situated for Jewish residents in Rathmines, Rathgar and Terenure" as the larger synagogues on South Circular Road (Adelaide Road and Greenville Hall) and the smaller synagogues around Clanbrassil Street and Portobello, were not within reasonable walking distance on the Sabbath. It was agreed that the congregation be established.^(xix)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Website:

https://www.dublinhebrew.org

Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister or reader - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rabbi Maurice Unterman - minister in about 1937.^(xxii)

Rabbi Dr. Hillel Medalie, MA, PhD - minister from at least 1945 until about 1947.^(xxiii)

Rev. Samuel Knopp - minister from 1955 until 1958.^(xxiv)

Rabbi Isaac Joel Bernstein, MA - minister from 1966 until 1970.^(xxv)

Rev. Alec Ginsburg - minister from 1974 or 1975 until 1976.^(xxvi)

Rabbi Aaron Rabinovits - minister from 1978 until 1992.^(xxix)

Rabbi Vivian C. Silverman - acting minister in about 1995.^(xxx)

Rabbi Zalman Lent - initially youth rabbi from 2000, later rabbi of the merged Dublin Hebrew Congregation.^(xxxi)

At times when the congregation did not have its own minister, it was served by the various Chief Rabbis of Ireland, who occupied by rotation the pulpits of the various orthodox congregations in Dublin, as well as by Dublin's Communal Rabbis.

Reader:

Rev. Solomon Bernstein - reader from about 1939 until about 1983, and thereafter emeritus minister.^(xxxii)

Lay Officers:

The following data on lay officers has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, which subsequent to 1956 generally ceased to provide details of lay officers other than the secretary.^(xxxv)

Presidents

1939-1940 - Simon Eppel

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1949 - Erwin Goldwater

1949-1955 - S. Fine

1955-at least 1956 - S. Marcus

Chairman

1949-at least 1956 - Erwin Goldwater

Vice President

1945-1949 - W.A. Freedman

Treasurer

1945-1949 - S. Fine

Vice President & Treasurer

1949-1955 - S. Marcus

1955-at least 1956 - N. Mendell

Hon. Secretaries

1938-1940 - J. Levin

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1949 - B. Davies

1949-1950 - L.O. Sher

1950-1953 - P. Rockman

1953-1957 - B. Davies & J.Y. Marcus

1957-1962 - B. Davies

1962-1964 - S. Noyet

1964-1974 - H. Feldman

1974-1975 - S.A. Siev

1975-1977 - H. Gross

1978-1981 - C. Grossman

1981-1988 - E. Marcus

1988-1989 - B. Adler

1989-1990 - W. Stein

1990-1997 - D. Adler

1997-2003 - W. Stein

Membership Data:

Number of Seatholders - Jewish Year Books^(xxxvi)

1953 - 170

1955 - 200

1962 - 250