Creechurch Lane Synagogue

Name

Creechurch Lane Synagogue (the Synagogue of the Spanish & Portugues Jews' Congregation)

Address:

5 Creechurch Lane⁽ⁱ⁾, London EC3A 5DQ

When Formed:

Lease acquired 16 December 1656 and services commenced January 1657. ⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ Building enlarged 1674.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ - This was the first synagogue to be established following the readmission of the Jews to England.

Final Status:

Succeeded by the Bevis Marks Synagogue in 1701.

The building then reverted to domestic use subsequently becoming the Parish Workhouse until 1857 and was then demolished.^(iv)  A plaque (see above) today marks the site of the former synagogue.

Ritual:

Orthodox Sephardi, following Spanish & Portuguese rites, now often referred to as Western Sephardi. However, until the establishment of an Askanazi synagogue in 1690, there were a large number of Ashkanazi (or  "Tedescos" as they were referred to by the Sephardi) among the congregants, although they were not permitted to hold office, vote nor take part in the service.

Additional Congregation:

Although little information is known, there is believed to have been a second Jewish congregation in existence in the mid-1660s,in the area of St. Helens.^(vii)

Rabbis: (To view a short profile of a rabbi whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rabbi Samuel Levy - the first Rabbi of the Congregation^(viii)

Rabbi Moses Athias - Rabbi or possibly Chazan at least during 1660^(ix)

Haham Rabbi Jacob Sasportas - from 1664 to 1665, the first Haham of the Sephardi Community in London^(xii)

Haham Rabbi Joshua (Yehoshua) da Silva - from 1670 to 1679^(xiii)

Haham Rabbi Jacob Abendana from 1681 to 1685^(xiv)

Haham Rabbi Solomon Ayllon - from 1689 to 1700^(xv)

For a complete list of Hahamin click HERE

Local Government District:

Creechurch Street is in the Aldgate Ward of the City of London, within the administrative area of Greater London.

It was in the parish of St. Katherine Cree (abolished 1908)

Cemetery
Information:

In February 1657, the Community acquired a lease of land in Mile End, to the east of the City, for use as a cemetery,being the first Jewish cemetery in England since the expulsion of the Jews in 1290. The cemetery became known as Mile End Velho (Old) Cemetery. For additional information, see Cemeteries of the Spanish & Portugues Jews' Congregation