JCR-UK

Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue

London E11

 

 

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 Congregation Data

Name:

Leytonstone & Wanstead Synagogue

(initially Leytonstone Synagogue, until about 1933)(i)

Address:

2 Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone E11 4AT. Previously address given as at 14 Drayton Road, Leytonstone E11

2 Fillebrook Road is on the corner of Fillebrook Road / Drayton Road and 14 Drayton Road is next door. After acquistion of the Fillesbrook Road plot, a new synagogue was constructed on this plot in 1954 . At times, both sites were in use and they used to be connected by a corridor running between the two buildings. For a period of time, 14 Drayton Road continued to be used for Shabbat services etc, while the larger building at 2 Fillebrook Road was used for High Holy Days, as a music venue, and a youth club, as well as for weddings. In the 1990s, 14 Drayton Road was sold.(ii)

Current Status:

Active

Date Formed:

1932(iii)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

An affiliated synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues.(iv)

Website:

http://www.lawsynagogue.org

Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister known to have served other UK congregations - name in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rev. G. H. Gordon - from about 1939 to at least 1940(v)

Rev. I. Stanley - in about 1944(vi)

Rev. Yisroel Moshe Braier - from about 1948 to 1974(vii)

Rev. Zorach Meir Salasnik - from 1974 to 1979(viii)

Rabbi Zalmy Brackman - from November 2017 to early 2020(x)

Rabbi Simcha Blum - from about February 2020 to Autumn 2020(xi)

Officers (Pre-WWII):(xv)

Hon. Presidents

Sidney Bresloff (1934-1935); Morris Baskin (1935-1937)

Presidents

Harris Bresloff (1932-1933), Sidney Bresloff (1933-1936, 1937-1938), Theodore Finn (1936-1937); Jacob Shorn (1939-1940)

Vice-Presidents

Bernard Shulman (1932-1933); Theodore Finn (1933-1936); P. Galowitz (1936-1937)

Chairmen

Abraham Levy (1932-1933) Theodore Finn (1933-1935, 1937-1938)

Vice Chairmen

Julius Mydat (1932-1934); P. Galowitz (1937-1938)

Treasurer

Jacob Shorn (1932-1938)

Hon. Secretaries

H. Schneider (1932-1938), H. Lincoln (1939-1940)

Trustees

1932-1933: Theodore Finn, Bernard Shulman and Maurice Goodman

1933-1934:  Maurice Goodman and Louis Hornstein

Wardens

1933-1934: Abraham Levy, Abraham Beerman

1934-1935: L. Abrahams, Morris Baskin and A. Bratt

1935-1936: C. Brett

1936-1937: C. Brett and D. Rogol

1937-1938: C. Brett, D. Rogol and A. Berman

Officers (1940s):(xvi)

President: J. Shorn (1945-1946); V. (or N.) Cohen (1946-1956)

Vice-President: Theodore Finn (1948-1953)

Chairman: Theodore Finn (1953-1956)

Vice-Chairman: S. Zilesmick (1953-1956)

Wardens:

Mr. Berman and Mr. Brett (1945-1946)

J. Leigh, A. Lewis and H. Harris (1954-1956)

Treasurer: S. Kalms (or S. Calms) (1945-1956)

Reader: Mr. Awronim (1945-1946)

Hon. Secretary: S. Pentol (1945-1953); Leslie Temple (1953-1962); S. Pizer (1962-1973)

Membership Data:

National Reports & Surveys(xviii)

1977 - 92 male (or household) members and 30 female members

1983 - 81 male (or household) members and 28 female members

1990 - 89 members (households)

1996 - 79 members (comprising 36 households, 12 individual male and 31 individual female members)

2010 - listed as having 50 - 99 members (by household)

2016 - listed as having under 50 members (by household)

Charitable and Legal Status:

The congregation is a registered charity (no. 1185624), being a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), registered on 4 October 2019.(xix)

Local Government District:

The suburb of Leytonstone is in the London Borough of Waltham Forest and was previously (until 1965) in the former Municipal Borough of Leyton.(xx)

Bibliography - London

Registration District (BMD):

Waltham Forest(xxi) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

For Federation of Synagogues cemeteries (including search of burial records), see under Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Notes & Sources ( returns to text above)

  • (i) The congregation was listed as Leytonstone Synagogue in the Jewish Year Book 1933. By the 1934 edition, it had already adopted its present name.

  • (ii) According to the Congregation's website (accessed 31 January 2018), the Congregation moved into its current synagogue building at 2 Fillebrook Street on 23 May 1954. However, 14 Drayton Road was still listed as the address of the Congregation in Jewish Year Books until the 1987 edition. The explanation provided for this apparent inconsistency was supplied in correspondence with the Congregation. The Drayton Road address first appears in the Jewish Year Book 1935. For the two previous years the address was given as 15 Preston Road, E.11, but this was probably merely the address of the hon. secretary, as he continue to be listed under that address after the congregation's move to Drayton Road.

  • (iii) Although the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 (the first edition following the break in publication during the war years) gives the date of establishment as 1929, subsequent editions appear to correct this and give the date as 1932. (The first listing of the congregation was in the Jewish Year Book 1933.) There was a period in and about 2007 when the synagogue was not able to be used and was temporarily closed due to damage caused by flooding following theft of lead flashings on roof. Accordingly, the congregation was unlisted in the Jewish Year Books 2007 and 2008.

  • (iv) Until the Jewish Year Book 1948, all Federation synagogues were shown in a single list (which were, in 1945/6 and 1947, possibly erroneously referred to as constituent synagogues). Thereafter, the listing separates constituent synagogues from affiliated synagogues and the congregation has always appeared in the latter list.

  • (v) Based upon Rev. Gordon's listing in the Jewish Year Book 1940. The 1939 edition did not include listings of ministers or officers of Federation synagogues and he was not listed in the 1938 edition. The Jewish Year Book was not published during the remainder of the war years and Rev. Gordon is not listed in the first edition following World War II (1945/6 edition).

  • (vi) Jewish Chronicle report.

  • (vii) Date of commencement based upon Rev. Braier's first listing in the Jewish Year Book 1949. His last listing was in the Jewish Year Book 1975, his successor having been appointed in 1974.

  • (viii) As advised by Rev. (later Rabbi) Salasnick and confirmed in a Jewish Chronicle report of June 1979.

  • (ix) Reserved.

  • (x) Appointment advised by the Congregation and congregation's website. Rabbi Brackman would made a nine mile walk from and returning to his home in Stamford Hill to conduct Shabbat services at the synagogue which initially struggled to get a minyan (Jewish News report of 28 September 2018).

  • (xi) Congregation's website last accessed December 2020

  • (xii) to (xiv) Reserved.

  • (xv) Based upon listing in Jewish Year Books 1933 through 1940. (The 1939 edition did not include listings of officers of Federation synagogues and the 1940 edition only lists the minister, president and hon. secretary.) 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 relevent year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. (Year books were generally published towards the end of the year prior to year appearing the the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1938, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1934 and continued in office until 1938). 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.

  • (xvi) See note (xv) above. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956.

  • (xvii) Reserved.

  • (xviii) 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.

  • (xix) Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage), accessed 5 August 2020. 

  • (xx) The London Borough of Waltham Forest, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Municipal Boroughs of Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford (which had each been incorporated as boroughs in 1926, 1929 and 1938, respectively). Until 1965, the areas had been part of the County of Essex.

  • (xxi) The former Registration Districts were Essex South Western, from 1 October 1935 until 1 April 1965 and, prior thereto, West Ham from the formation of Congregation. All registers would now be held by current register office.


List of Congregations in the Federation of Synagogues

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Waltham Forest

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

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Page created: 22 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 31 January 2018
Latest revision or update: 27 August 2021


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