the former

Yakar Kehila

& Yakar Synagogue

Hendon, London NW4

JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and
congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Congregation Data
Name	Yakar Kehila, from 2002 to until about 2008⁽ⁱ⁾ The successor congregation to: Yakar Synagogue, until 2002⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Last Address:	London School of Jewish Studies, 44 Albert Road (near Bell Lane), Hendon, London NW4, from 2008^(v)
Previous Addresses:	Independent Jewish Day School, Hendon, London NW4 from 2003 until 2008. Egerton Gardens, Hendon, London NW4 4BA from January 1983 until 2003^(vi) Springbok House, Wood Lane, Stanmore, London HA7 4LQ from 1978 until 1983
Formation:	Yakar Synagogue, formed by the Yakar Educational Foundation, was established in 1978 by the late Rabbi Michael Rosen as part of a religious, cultural and adult educational study centre "to reawaken Jewish consciousness" with its own independent synagogue. The name Yakar (meaning Precious in Hebrew) forms the initials of Rabbi Yaakov Kopel Rosen, Michael Rosen's late father.
Status and Successor Congregation:	Yakar Kehila closed in about 2008, following the decision of the Rosen family and the Yakar Educational Foundation to cease backing the congregation and to direct the resources elsewhere. However, a number of former members of the congregation established Kehillat Ohel Avraham, as a successor congregation to Yakar^(vii) and continued to hold services at the London School of Jewish Studies. It subsequently closed, although the date is uncertain - although the congregation ceased being listed in Jewish Year Books from 2011, it was still listed in the JPR report on synagogue membership in 2016.^(viii)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	None. Independent.
Directors / Rabbis: *(To view a short profile - hold the cursor over the rabbi's name.)*	Rabbi Michael Rosen - Principal from 1978 until 1992^(xi) Rabbi Simon Harris - from 1994 until 1996^(xii) Rabbi Yehoshua Engelman - from 1997 until 1999^(xiii) Rabbi Jeremy Rosen - from 1999 until about 2006^(xiv)
Membership Data:	National Reports & Surveys^(xv) 2010 and 2016 - listed as having under 50 members (by household)
Local Government District:	Hendon, a residential suburb in Northwest London with a substantial Jewish minority, is in the London Borough of Barnet (formed 1965). Stanmore, where Yakar was originally situated, is also home to a substantial Jewish minority and is in the London Borough of Harrow. Bibliography - Barnet
Registration District (BMD):	Barnet^(xvi) - Link to Register Office website
Charitable Status:	The Yakar Educational Foundation is a registered charity (number 277818), registered on 1 July 1976. The efforts of the Foundation are now mainly directed towards supporting its two centres in Israel, one in Jerusalem, one in Tel Aviv. Both centres comprise a synagogue, a study centre and a community centre. Yakar Jerusalem is led by Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen. Yakar Tel Aviv is led by Rabbi Chananel Rosen.^(xvii)
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books 2005 through 2008 with a note that it was established in 2002 as a successor to Yakar Synagogue. ↵ (ii) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1999 (its first listing). ↵ (iii) and (iv) Reserved. (v) The Jewish Chronicle of 18 January 2008 reported that "Yakar Kehilla in Hendon has recently moved its Shabbat and festival services to a new home. The minyan now meets on the campus of the London School of Jewish Studies, Hendon." ↵ (vi) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from the congregation's first listing (1999) until 2004. ↵ (vii) Kehillat Ohel Avraham was listed in Jewish Year Books 2009 through 2011, which included a note that it is a successor to Yakar Kehila. ↵ (vii) See footnote (xv). ↵ (ix) and (x) Reserved. (xi) The Jewish Chronicle of 25 August 1978 referred to Rabbi Michael Rosen as the "founder and director" of Yakar Synagogue and in 1992 it reported that he had founded Yakar in Jerusalem. ↵ (xii) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 September 1994 reported that the Yakar Synagogue, in Hendon, had appointed 32-year-old Rabbi Simon Harris, the Chief Rabbi of Ireland, as its new minister and on 28 March 1997 it reported that he had left Yakar before Rosh Hashanah (1996). ↵ (xiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 28 March 1997 reported that Yakar, the educational and community centre in Hendon, has appointed a new rabbi. London-born Rabbi Yehoshua Engelman, who moved to Israel at the age of 12, was expected to take up the post in July. His successor took over in 1999. ↵ (xiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 5 November 1999 reported that Rabbi Jeremy Rosen was the new head of Yakar and on 23 February 2007 it reported that the Yakar community was previously led by Rabbi Jeremy Rosen. ↵ (xv) 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. ↵ (xvi) The former registration district was Hendon, from before the formation of the congregation until 1 April 1999. Any registers would now be held by the current register office. Until the move from Stanmore, the registration district was Harrow. ↵ (xvii) Annual Report of the Foundation for the year ended 31 August 2020, on the Charities Commission website. ↵

List of Independent Ashkenazi Congregations in London

Jewish Congregations in Hendon (London Borough of Barnet)

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 15 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 5 July 2022
Page most recently amended: 6 July 2022

Research by David Shulman and Steven Jaffe
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.