Kingston, Surbiton & District Affiliated Synagogue

Kingston upon Thames, Surrey

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Congregation Data

Name:

Kingston, Surbiton & District Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

previously also known as Kingston, Surbiton & District Affiliated Synagogue.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Address:

33-35 Uxbridge Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2LL.^(iv)

The site was acquired in 1950^(v) and the synagogue was erected and in use from 1954.^(vi)

Previously, the congregation met in members' homes, the High Holyday services being held in the Assembly Rooms, Claremont Road, Surbiton.^(x)

Formation and Predecessor Congregation:

Although there had been a small medieval Jewish presence in Kingston, in modern times Jews were present from the nineteenth and in the early twentieth centuries. They formed a congregation (the Surbiton and Kingston Congregation) which had become defuct by World War II.^(xi)

The present congregation was established in 1947.^(xii)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

An affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogue on joining in 1948,^(xiii) becoming a constituent (member) synagogue in 2018.^(xiv)

Website:

http://ksds.org.uk/

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

Rev. Bernard Koschland - minister from 1956 until 1961.^(xix)

Rabbi Edward Jackson - minister from 1961 until 1972.^(xx)

Rev. M. Berkovitch - minister from 1972 until 1984.^(xxi)

Rev. Joel N. Portnoy - reader from 1980 until not later than 1985.^(xxiv)

Rabbi Zvi Lieberman - minister from 1985 until 1990.^(xxv)

Rabbi Stanley Coten - minister from 1990 until 2002.^(xxvi)

Rabbi David Mason - minister from 2003 until 2008.^(xxvii)

Rabbi Michael Rosenfeld-Schueler - minister from 2008 until 2013.^(xxviii)

Rabbi Samuel Landau & Rebbetzen Shoshana Landau - rabbinic couple from 2013 until 2019.^(xxxi)

Rabbi Yechezkel Mandelbaum & Rebbetzen Shulamit Mandelbaum - rabbinic couple from 2019 until present (July 2025).^(xxxii)

Lay Officers:

Unless otherwise stated, all data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxxvi)

Wardens

1949-1952 - L.A. Bloch & L.M. Lichtenfeld^(xxxvii)

1952-1953 - C. Symons & L.M. Lichtenfeld

1953-1956 - S.B. Adler & L. Shorts

Hon. Life Warden

From 1955 - C.M. Lichtenfeld

Financial Representatives

1948-1949 - H. Grant^(xxxviii)

1949-1950 - C. Symons^(xxxvii)

1950-1951 - C. Gainsley

1951-1952 - H. Grant

1952-1953 - L. Shorts

1953-1956 - Sidney Gainsley

Chairman

1948-1949 - Sidney Gainsley

Hon Secretaries and Secretaries

1948-1950 - R. Pentol

1950-1951 - Sidney Gainsley

1951-1956 - R. Pentol

1956-1964 - The Minister

1964-1965 - S.S. Asser

1965-1967 - M. Moss

1967-1970 - E. Hickman

1970-1972 - Mrs. R. Perchersky

1972-1974 - M.J. Freedman

1974-2001 - S. Nakar^(xxxix)

Membership Data:

United Synagogue (male seat-holders)^(xlii)

1948

1950

1960

1970

80

103

148

227

National Reports & Surveys^(xliii)

1977 - 261 male (or household) members and 65 female members

1983 - 279 male (or household) members and 71 female members

1990 - 345 members (comprising 336 households, 7 individual male and 2 individual female members)

1996 - 302 members (comprising 274 households, 13 individual male and 15 individual female members)

2010 and 2016 - listed as having 200 to 299 members (by household)

Charitable Status:

As a constituent of the United Synagogue, the congregation operates within that organisation's registered charity status (registered charity no. 242552).

The Friends of Kingston Surbiton and District Synagogue (working name: The Friends and the Benevolent Society of Kingston Surbiton and District Synagogue) is a registered charity (registered charity no. 268232), registered on 7 January 1975.^(xliv)

Local Government Districts:

The town and suburb of Kingston-upon-Thames in southwest London is in the Royal London Borough of Kingston upon Thames, created on 1 April 1965 within the administrative area of Greater London. Kingston-upon-Thames was previously in the former Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames in the County of Surrey.^(xlv)

Registration District (BMD):

Kingston-upon-Thames from 1 April 1965^(xlvi) - Link to Register Office website

Worship Registration:

The synagogue at 33/35 Uxbridge Road is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 65152 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xlvii)

Cemetery
Information:

For United Synagogue cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue.

Notable Jewish Associations with Kingston

Harold Bauer (1873-1951), pianist, was born in Kingston-upon-Thames

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This is how the congregation styles itself on its website, last accessed July 2025. ↵
(iii) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1962 through the last edition (2015), and presumably would have continued to be known under this name until it became a constituent synagogue in 2018. ↵
(iv) The congregation's website and Jewish Year Books from 1956. ↵
(v) Jewish Chronicle report of 21 April 1950. ↵
(vi) "Kingston's Jewish History" on the congregation's website, accessed July 2025. This address was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1956. ↵
(vii) to (ix) Reserved.
(x) Jewish Chronicle report of 29 April 1948 and "Kingston's Jewish History" on the congregation's website, accessed July 2025. The congregation's website refers to services being held in members' homes until the acquisition of the Uxbridge Road premises, Jewish Year Books 1949 through 1955 give the congregation's address as 35 King's Drive, Surbiton. However, this appears to be the home address of the congregation's hon. secretary, R. Pentol. ↵
(xi) "Kingston's Jewish History" on the congregation's website, accessed July 2025. ↵
(xii) Note in Jewish Year Books from 1950. ↵
(xiii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p.222 and Jewish Chronicle report of 30 July 1948. ↵
(xiv) "Kingston's Jewish History" on the congregation's website, accessed July 2025. ↵
(xv) to (xviii) Reserved.
(xix) The Jewish Chronicle of 27 April 1956 reported that Kingston and Surbiton Affiliated Synagogue had appointed as its first minister, the Rev. B. Koschland and on 15 September 1961 it reported that the Rev. Edward L. Jackson had been appointed minister of the Kingston and Surbiton District Synagogue in succession to the Rev. Bernard Koschland, who retired recently. He was listed as minister at the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1957 through 1961. ↵
(xx) The Jewish Chronicle of 15 September 1961 reported that the Rev. Edward L. Jackson had been appointed minister of the Kingston and Surbiton District Synagogue in succession to the Rev. Bernard Koschland, who retired recently and on 25 February 1972 it reported that Rabbi Edward Jackson, minister of the Kingston and Surbiton Synagogue, is to become minister of the Kenton Synagogue in succession to Rabbi Cyril Harris. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1962 through 1972. ↵
(xxi) Jewish Chronicle of 30 June 1972 reported the appointment of Rev. Berkovitch as minister of the congregation. In 1984 he was Director of Jewish studies at Carmel College. Rev. M. Berkovitch was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1973 through 1984. ↵
(xxii) and (xxiii)
(xxiv) Jewish Chronicle reports. ↵
(xxv) Jewish Chronicle of 15 November 1985 reported Rabbi Lieberman as the new arrival at the congregation and on 6 April 1990 it reported that Rabbi Lieberman, aged 30, was leaving Kingston and Surbiton Synagogue the following month, after five years. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1986 through 1990. ↵
(xxvi) Jewish Chronicle of 31 August 1990 reported that the congregation was to officially welcome the Rev Stanley Coten as minister and on 18 April 2003 it reported that Rabbi Stanley Coten, minister of Kingston, will be moving to Ruislip Synagogue. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1991 through 2003 (from 1991 through 1994 as Rev and thereafter as rabbi). ↵
(xxvii) Jewish Chronicle of 14 November 2003 contained a Community profile, which stated that Edinburgh-born Rabbi David Mason had joined the congregation that summer and on 17October 2008 it reported that Rabbi Mason had left the congregation. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2004 through 2009. ↵
(xxviii) Jewish Chronicle on 17 October 2008 reported of Rabbi Rosenfeld's appointment and on 17 May 2013 it reported the departure of rabbi Rosenfeld, whose contract has not been renewed. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2010 through 2013. ↵
(xxix) and (xxx) Reserved.
(xxxi) Rabbi Samuel Landau gave a sermon as the newly-appointed minister of the congregation and on 27 September 2019 the Jewish Chronicle described him as new rabbi at Barnet. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2014 and 2015 (the final publication). ↵
(xxxii) Congregation's website, last accessed July 2025. ↵
(xxxiii) to (xxxv) Reserved.
(xxxvi) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing in the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1947 through 1951, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1946 and continued in office until 1951). However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and accordingly his actual years of office may differ slightly from those shown here. Jewish Year Books were not published during WWII subsequent to 1940. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xxxvii) Jewish Chronicle of 2 June 1950 reported on the results of the elections at At the congregation's annual meeting, confirming the election of persons to the posts indicated In addition it reported that N. Bbarier, E. Cohen, J. Cook, S. Gainsley, H. Grant, B. Morris, S. Marks, C. Moss, R. Pentol and R. Weinberg had been elected to the Board of Management. ↵
(xxxviii) Listed as Treasurer. ↵
(xxxix) Listed under the new title of Administrator. ↵
(xl) and (xli) Reserved.
(xlii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xliii) 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. ↵
(xliv) Charities Commission website, accessed July 2025. Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the charity's registration on the Charities Commission website. ↵
(xlv) The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former municipal boroughs of Kingston-upon-Thames (a Royal borough), Malden and Coombe and Surbiton. All these areas had then been part of the County of Surrey. ↵
(xlvi) The former Registration Districts were Kingston, from 1 July 1837 until 1 April 1934; Surrey North Eastern, from 1 April 1934 until 1 July 1948; and Surrey Northern, from 1 July 1948 until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xlvii) Page 778 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the Royal (London) Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 25 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 30 July 2025
Page most recently amended: 1 August 2025

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jolles (rabbinic profiles)
Formatting by David Shulman

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