Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Henry Sacks
(8 March 1948 - 7 November 2020)

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks (m. Elaine Taylor) was born in Lambeth, London. His mother ("Libby" nee Frumkin) was a granddaughter of Rav. Aryeh Leib Frumkin. He gained a first-class honours degree (MA) in Philosophy from Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, followed by postgraduate study at New College, Oxford and at King's College London, completing a PhD, which he received from the University of London 1982. Urged and encouraged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, to seek rabbinic ordination and enter the rabbinate, he studied at London's Jews' College and Etz Chaim Yeshiva, from where he received semicha. Rabbi Sacks's first communal appointment was as head of the Hebrew and religious classes at Luton Synagogue in June 1977. His first rabbinic appointment was as minister of Golders Green Synagogue, northwest London (1978-1982). This was followed by his appointment as minister of the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, central London (1983-1990). He also served as Principal of Jews' College from 1984 to 1990. On 1 September 1991, he was appointed Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, serving until his retirement on 1 September 2013. He was bestowed a knighthood in 2005 "for services to the community and to inter-faith relations" and received a life peerage with a seat in the House of Lords in 2019, taking the title "Baron Sacks, of Aldgate in the City of London". At the time of his death, aged 72, he was the Emeritus Chief Rabbi. He is buried in the Bushey New Cemetery, Hertfordshire. In 2021, Lord Sacks was posthumously awarded the Genesis Prize Lifetime Achievement Award. (Online research.)

Rev. I. Sacofsky

Rev. I. Sacofsky of Leeds served as minister, reader and shochet of the Doncaster United Hebrew Congregation, Yorkshire, from about 1942 (when he was still resident in Leeds and sent new year greetings to the Doncaster community) until 1948. He is presumed to be related to Rev. Wolfe Sacofsky of Leeds. He may be Israel Chaim Sakofsky, born in Russia in 1898 who died in Leeds in 1991. (JYB listings; JC reports; and internet research.)

Rev. Wolfe Sacofsky
(16 March 1915 - 24 December 1989)

Leeds born Rev. W. Sacofsky (m. Betty Marcus) studied at Manchester Yeshiva, during which period he officiated at the High Holy Day services for the small Oldham Hebrew Congregation in 1935 and 1936. From 1937, he served as minister of Moortown Synagogue, Leeds (a constituent of the Leeds United Hebrew Congregation) for some 52 years until his death in 1989. He was also a poultry shochet of the Leeds Board of Shechita for some 40 years and chaplain to St James (University) Hospital in Leeds. He is buried in the Leeds UHC cemetery. (JC obituary of 12 January 1990; and online research.)

Rabbi Eli Salasnik
(c.1925 - 9 October 2015)

Rabbi Salasnik (m June Zipporah) was born in the Old City of Jerusalem in the British Mandate of Palestine, to a family which had resided in the city for centuries and was the grandson of a rosh yeshiva. He served in the Haganah in Israel's war of independence and  attended both Chevron yeshiva and Merkaz Ha Rav Kook where he first obtained semicha aged only 17. On moving to Britain, he was rabbi for over 35 years in Waltham Forest, serving from 1952 until about 1987 as minister of Walthamstow and Leyton Synagogue and its successor congregation, Waltham Forest Hebrew Congregation (the name adopted following ithe 1967 merger with neighbouring Queens Road Synagogue). Rabbi Salasnik pioneered the independent Walthamstow & Leyton Jewish Day School from 1960 (it closed in about 1985). He was for a time chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, sat regularly on the Bet Din of the Federation of synagogues. Following retirement, he assisted other communities, including as acting minister to the Hove Hebrew Congregation, Holland Road, from 1989 until about 1993, and Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue, Essex. He continued working well into his 80s as a Rav with the Shechita Board. He is buried on the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem. He was the father of Rabbi Zorach Meir Salasnik. (Remembering Rav Eli Salasnik z'l, HaMaor April 2016 by his sons and JC various reports.)

Rev. Nathan Samuel Salasnik (or Salas)
(b. c.1891 - 31 May 1958)

Russian born Rev. N. Salasnik (also Salas, Salasnick and Salasmik) served as minister of the Great Yarmouth Hebrew Congregation, Norfolk, from 1911 until about 1914. In 1914 he was appointed as reader, teacher and shochet to the Aberavon and Port Talbot Hebrew Congregation, south Wales, probably serving only until about 1915, as he is believed to be the Rev. Samuel Nathan Salas who left for Australia in 1915 and served as a minister in Broken Hill, New South Wales and in Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand and died in Israel on 31 May 1958. (JC reports; JYB listings; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 854.)

Rabbi Zorach Meir Salasnik

London-born Rabbi Salasnik (m. Judy), the son of Rabbi Eli Salasnik, was awarded a BA in history from Queen Mary College, University of London. He served as minister of Notting Hill Synagogue, London (1970-1974) and Leytonstone & Wanstead Synagogue, London (1974-1979) before being appointed as the first (and long-serving) minister of Bushey United Synagogue, Hertfordshire (1979-2016), receiving his semicha in 1986. He subsequently retired to Israel. (JYB listings and profile formerly on Bushey Synagogue website.)

Rev. Bernard (Benjamin) Joshua Salomons
(7 November 1862 - 22 March 1938)

Polish-born Rev. Salomons (or Solomon) was educated at yeshiva in Poland and came to Britain with his parents in about 1878. At the age of twenty, he was appointed minister of the Oxford Hebrew Congregation (c.1882-c.1884). He was then briefly minister of the Stockton Jewish Community. In 1885 he became Minister and Secretary to the Magnus Memorial Synagogue, Chatham, Kent, where he served for twelve years. Rev. Salomons became a celebrated preacher and lecturer to Jewish and non Jewish audiences. He was active in local charitable and cultural societies, such as the Temperance Union, Vigilance Committee, the local auxiliary of the NSPCC and was a leading member of the Liberal party in Kent. He helped to establish in Chatham a branch of the Anglo-Jewish Association and was a prison chaplain. He retired as a minister in 1897 due to a severe throat illness and became a staff member of the Montefiore Academy at nearby Ramsgate. He was described as the doyen of the Judith Montefiore Theological College, Ramsgate at the time of his death. He is buried at Willesden Cemetery, London. (JC obituary 1 April 1938; The Jews of Oxford by D.M. Lewis.)

Rev. J.L. Salzedo
(d. 1983)

Rev. Salzedo served as chaplain to Friern Hospital, north London, from 1975 until his death in 1983. As he was unable to conduct the services on the Sabbath, these were conducted by members of the Palmers Green Synagogue Friern Barnet Committee, which formed a roster of voluntary officiants. (Article by Harry Balkin on the Friern Hospital Synagogue.)

Rev. Abraham Samet
(7 April 1878 - 29 September 1952)

Rev. Samet (m. Rosa Levy who died at Rochester, Kent in 1926) was the only son of Hirsc Samet of Lodz, Poland. His first known posts in Britain were as minister at the Falkirk Hebrew Congregation, Scotland (1917-c.1918) and at the Stockport Hebrew Congregation, then in Cheshire (prior to 1920). Rev. Samet served as minister at the Reading Hebrew Congregation, Berkshire (1919-1922) and was then minister of the Chatham Memorial Synagogue, Rochester, Kent (1923-1929). His last known post was as minister of the Walford Road Synagogue, Stoke Newington, London (c.1930-c.1931). (View image of wife's gravestone at Chatham Jewish cemetery.) (A Fitting Memorial, a brief history of Chatham Synagogue by Irina Fridman; JYB listings and various JC reports; Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 855; and JYB listings.)

Rev. Isaac Samuel
(9 March 1833 - 24 October 1914)

Born in the City of London, Rev Samuel (m. 1st Luisa Freideberg - d. 1888, 2nd Henrietta Joseph of Brighton) was educated privately by a Hebrew scholar, Mr Tempelburg. In 1854 he was engaged to conduct the choir of the new Great Portland Street Congregation, Central London In addition to synagogue duties and studying, he ran a tobacconist business in London's Fleet Street, which failed partly because he refused to open it on Sabbaths or festivals. He then served as minister of the Bristol Hebrew Congregation (1859-1864). For half a century he served as first reader* of Bayswater Synagogue, London, from 1864 until February 1914 when he retired. He also taught chazanut at Jews' College from 1888. According to his obituary, he owed his reputation as a minister more to his charitable works than for vocal ability, and he was known as the "king of the schnorrers", when it came to seeking donations for the Jews' Deaf and Dumb home. Rev Samuel had ten children, and he was father-in-law to ministers, Rev. Meldola de Sola and Rev. Barnett Elzas. (JC obituary 30 October 1914; Jews in Bristol by J. Samuel (1997); The Story of Bayswater Synagogue 1863-1938 by C. Roth; and JYB listings.)
[*From about 1903 until about 1911, both he and any person performing the function of second reader were described as "ministers", presumably as the description of the rabbi had been changed from "minister" to "preacher".]

Rev. Philip Samuel (Rev. Feival)

Warsaw-born Rev. P. Samuel was the son of the secretary of the Great Synagogue, Warsaw, and traded as a silk merchant, living in Moscow, Vilna and Danzig. He came to Britain (reportedly to escape bankruptcy and consequential imprisonment) and served for a short period (c.1810-c.1811) as reader of the Penzance Jewish Congregation. After a short spell as a government agent in Falmouth and a jeweller in St. Austell, Cornwall, he then left for Lisbon, Portugal, where he later died. ("The Lost Jews of Cornwall" by Kieth Pearce, Helen Fry and Godfrey Simmons.)

Rabbi Yochel Myer Sandelson
(c.1880 - 12 April 1935)

Rabbi Y.M. Sandelson (also spelled Sandleson, former family name Miskin) was born in Vilna, Lithuania. He was rabbi at the Newcastle Beth Hamedrash from the 1890s until about 1920, when he transferred his services to the Corporation Street Synagogue, Newcastle, with which the Beth Hamedrash had formally merged in 1916 (while still retaining its own administration and building). Four years later, he became minister of Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation and Beth Hamedrash, Ravensworth Terrace, (1924-1935), with its new purpose-built synagogue, which fully united both congregations in a single location. Rabbi Sandelson was grandfather to three UK Members of Parliament, Leslie Lever (later Lord Lever of Ardwick), Harold Lever (later Lord Lever of Manchester) and Neville Sandelson. ("The Jewish Communities of North-East England" by Lewis Olsover (1980) and JYB listings.)

Rev. Herbert J. Sandheim
(13 October 1882 - 23 June 1926)

Glasgow born Rev. Sandheim (m. Ida Neft), whose father, Isaac Sandheim, was a co-founder of the Hammersmith Synagogue, was educated at Jews' College, London. He served as minister at the Swansea Hebrew Congregation from January 1907 and also visited Llanelli in that capacity. His period at Swansea was marked by constant friction between the minister and members of the Management Committee and he had previously tendered his resignation on at least one occasion, in 1907, before ultimately leaving in 1912, under somewhat of a cloud, when it was discovered that he was heavily in debt. He then changed his name to Rev. H.J. Samuel and emigrated to Canada, obtaining a BA degree at the University of Manitoba, and served as minister in Winnipeg and Montreal. He died in Asheville, North Carolina, still in his early 40s, and his remains were repatriated to Wales, where he was buried in Swansea Townhill cemetery (view details and image of gravestone). He was the grandfson of Rev. Julius Sandheim. ("The Jews of South Wales" by Ursula R.Q. Henriques, pp. 96/98; Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 859.)

Rev. Julius Sandheim
(c.1815 - 13 March 1888)

Prussian born Rev. Sandheim (m. Miriam, eldest daughter of his predecessor in Dublin, Rev. Isaac Davidson), served from about 1839 at Dublin Hebrew Congregation's Mary's Abbey Synagogue, initially as secretary and reader, shochet and mohel, but from 1855, only as shochet and mohel. However, he appears to have re-occupied the earlier posts as he is described as first reader and secretary of the congregation in the Jewish Directory of 1874.  During his time in Dublin, Rev. Sandheim maintained a register of Jewish births in Dublin and also Belfast, the last entry being in 1879. In August 1882 he retired to England due to ill health, and died in Hackney, London. He is buried at West Ham Jewish cemetery. He was the grandfather of Rev. Herbert J. Sandheim. (Louis Hyman's Jews of Ireland; Jewish Directory of 1874; and internet research.)

Rev. Dr. Louis Morris Sanker
(5 June 1909 - February 1985)

South Shields-born Rev. Sanker, BA, PhD, (m. Adele, divorced 1950) studied at Sunderland Kollel, Yeshiva Etz Chayim, Jews' College, London and UCL. He served as minister of Becontree & District Associate Synagogue, London (c.1932-c.1935) and Bristol Hebrew Congregation, (1935-1944), then becoming an RAF chaplain. He later served as minister of Leeds United Hebrew Congregation (1947-1951) and then left for the United States. In 1960 he was appointed rabbi of the Reform Temple Beth El at Midland, Michigan. (Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History (2011) by W. Rubinstein (ed.) and M.A. Jolles and H. L. Rubinstein (ass. eds.), p.861; JYB listings; JC various reports, Michigan Jewish History Fall 2003, available on line)

Rabbi Moshe Santhouse

Rabbi Santhouse (m. Mimy), who ran the Zev Hatorah learning programme in Manchester, travelled to Southport twice a week to serve as the part time minister of the Southport Hebrew Congregation, Lancashire (1999-2001). (JC report of 29 December 2000.)

Haham Rabbi Jacob (ben Aaron) Sasportas
(1610 - 15 April 1698)

Rabbi Sasportas was born in Oran, Algeria and served successively as rabbi of the Moroccan communities in Tlemçen (at the age of 24), Marrakesh, Fes, and Sali. He was a distinguised and erudite talmudist and was known as a fierce opponent of the Shabbathean movement. In about 1646, he was imprisoned by the King of Morocco, but escaped to Amsterdam with his family in about 1653. He was called back by the King and sent on a special mission to the Spanish court (c. 1659). In 1664, only seven years after the Resettlement of Jews in England and the founding of the Creechurch Lane (Spanish & Portuguese) Synagogue, he was appointed as the first Haham of the new community but left the following year to escape the Great Plague of London of 1665. He went initially to Hamburg until 1673, then to Amsterdam and in 1673 to Leghorn, Italy. In 1680 he returned to Amsterdam, ultimately being appointed to the rabbinate of that city (his lifetime ambition) in 1693 at the age of 83. He continued to hold such office until his death. Although he only spent a year in London, he nevertheless continued to be a source of advice and support to the London community and its spiritual and lay leaders until his death. (Jewish Encyclopedia article on "Sasportas" c.1906 and British Chief Rabbis 1664-2006 by Derek Taylor, 2007, Chapter 3, pp.26-45.)

Hacham Dr. Isaac (Haki) S.D. Sassoon
(b. 1946)

Hacham Sassoon was born in Hitchin (next to Letchworth), Hertfordshire, a son of Rabbi Solomon (Suleiman) David Sassoon, and grew up in Letchworth, where his father played a prominent part in the community. He studied under his father and at the Gateshead Yeshiva and various yeshivoth in Israel and received his semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. He one of the leading scholars in the Sephardic world and teaches at The Institute of Traditional Judaism (also known as The Metivta), New York. Hacham Sassoon is the author of a number of significant works including a commentary on the Chumash called Destination Torah (2001), The Status of Women in Jewish Tradition (2011) and was co-editor of the Siddur 'Alats Libbi (2020). He is the brother of Rabbi David Sasson. (Online research.)

Rabbi Solomon (Suleiman) David Sassoon
(14 August 1915 - 27 May 1985)

London born Rabbi Sassoon (m. Alice Benjamin) was the son of David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942), the renowned bibliophile who assembled the Sassoon Library, which was one of the largest private collection of rare Jewish books and manusripts in the world. Rabbi Sassoon received semicha in 1936. In 1940, together with his father and the library he evacuated to Letchworth, Hertfordshire, where Rabbi Sassoon played a prominent part in the community and held a number of position in the Letchworth Hebrew Congregation, including president, vice chairman and headmaster of the Talmud Torah. There was also a separate Sephardi minyan, which held daily and Sabbath services in the synagogue at the Sassoon's Letchworth home from 1940 to 1957, of which Rabbi Sassoon was the spiritual leader. Rabbi Sassoon was the founder/president of the Eastern Jewry Community, of Stamford Hill and Golders Green, London, established in 1955. In 1964 a suggestion was made that Rabbi Sassoon be appointed Israel's first ever joint Sephardi and Ashkanazi Chief Rabbi (his mother was Ashkanazi), but Rabbi Sassoon rejected the feelers. The Sassoon Library remained in Letchworth until 1970, when the Sassoon family moved to Israel. Rabbi Sasson died in Jerusalem. He was the father of Rabbi David Sassoon and Hacham Yitzchak (Haki) S.D. Sassoon and his sister was married to Rabbi Asher (Oosher) Feuchtwanger. (Yanky Fachler's Jewish Letchworth.)

Rabbi Arnold Saunders
(b. 1958)

Manchester-born Rabbi Saunders, BA (m. Myrella) studied at Gateshead Yeshiva and Jews’ College, London. He served as minister of Blackpool United Hebrew Congregation (1982-1985), Wanstead & Woodford Affiliated Synagogue, London, and Higher Crumpsall and Higher Broughton Synagogue, Manchester (1990-2005). In 2009, he was appointed as Jewish Civilian Chaplain to the Military and in 2017, in a by-election, he was elected as Conservative councillor for the Kersal ward of Salford. However, in the 2019 General Election, he unsuccessfully stood as Conservative candidate for the Worsley and Eccles South constituency (On line press reports and JYB listings)

Rev. Joseph Schachtel
(d. 16 June 1941)

Rev. Schachtel, from Kalisz, Poland, was appointed minister of Northampton Hebrew Congregation in 1908. He is believed to be the same Rev. J. Schachtel who served as minister and shochet at the Llandudno Hebrew Congregation, North Wales (c.1924-c.1925). In 1928 he conducted High Holy Day services for the United Synagogue Welfare Board in the East End of London. (A Short History of the Jews of Northampton by Michael Jolles; JYB listings; and JC reports.)

Rev. Solomon Schapero

Rev. Schapero served as reader at the Oxford Hebrew Congregation from 1881 to 1882, when he left to take up a post in Liverpool. (The Jews of Oxford (1992) by D.M. Lewis, pp. 30/1; Congregation's minutes; Oxford Times report of 31 December 1881.).

Rev. Abraham Isaac Scheff
(d.31 January 1901)

Born in the Russian Empire, Rev. Scheff served at the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation from no later than 1883 until at least 1888. He has then been described as chazan in Newcastle upon Tyne and a colleague of Rabbi Sandelson (of the Beth Hamedrash congregation). According to Kelly's Directory of Durham 1890, Rev. A.I. Scheff was the minister officiating at Sabbath services at the North Shields Synagogue in the North East of England (but he may have done so in a visiting capacity from Newcastle). He died at the home of his daughter in Newcastle upon Tyne. Rev. Scheff was the father-in-law of Rev. Aaron Miller, who also served as a chazan in Nottingham, and the maternal grandfather of Lady Lever of Ardwick, wife of Leslie Lever MP. (JC death notice 8 February 1902 and online research.)

Rabbi Benjamin Schewzik
(c.1853 - 1915)

Rabbi Schewzik has rabbi at Pskov, Russia, was elected a member of Judith Lady Montefiore's Theological College in Ramsgate, Kent. Noted as an orator and communal worker, he was known for running mass religious services for thousands of Jewish emigrants in London in the late nineteenth century. He was the proprietor of the Russian Ritual and Vapour baths in Brick Lane, Whitechapel (popularly known as Schewzik's). His son, Michael Sherbrooke, became a noted Shakespearean actor. (Online research.)

Rabbi David Tevele Schiff
(d. 17 December 1791)

Rabbi Schiff (m. Breinle Sinzheim) was the son of Rabbi Solomon Schiff of Frankfurt and the grandson of Rabbi Aberle. He studied under two great talmudists, Rab, Jacob Poper and Rab. Jacob Joshua Falk and by 1743 was haed of the prestgious Beth Hamedresh in Worms. He was a preacher in Vienna and returned to Frankfurt as a dayan.  He served as the rabbi of the Great Synagogue, London and Chief Rabbi of Great Britain from 1765 until his death. However, from his appointment until 1780, his position as Chief Rabbi was contested by Rabbi Meshullam Solomon, who had been appointed as Chief Rabbi by the other two Ashkenazi synagogues in the City of London, the Hambro' Synagogue and the New Synagogue. The matter was only resolved when Rabbi Solomon left London for Russia in 1780. Rabbi Schiff died in London and was buried in the Alderney Road cemetery in London's East End. (History of the Great Synagogue by Cecil Roth, 1950; British Chief Rabbis 1664-2006 by Derek Taylor, 2007; online research.)

Rev. Alexander Schloss
(d. February 1925)

Polish-born Rev. Alexander (also knwn as Sigismund) Schloss's first position in England was at Canterbury Synagogue, Kent. He then served the Nottingham Hebrew congregation as reader, shochet and/or teacher for nearly 32 years, from 1888 until 1919 (and for some of that time effectively as the congregation's sole minister). With the outbreak of war in 1914, he was appointed an additional military chaplain in Nottingham and ministered to prisoners of war at Kegworth in Leicestershire. He also assisted the Leicester Hebrew Congregation as a visiting mohel and occasional shochet. Subsequently, following a dispute with the congregation of a modest salaray increase, he left Nottingham to take up "less strenuous duties" as minister of Margate Hebrew Congregation, Kent (1919-1925). He died in Margate shortly following his retirement and is buried at the Hardy Street cemetery, Nottingham. His eldest son, Rev. D Schloss was minister of the Jewish community at Christchurch, New Zealand. Another son, Lionel Schloss, intended for the ministry, was killed in action during the Great War. (JC, various articles, obituary and tributes, 6 and 27 February 1925, Nelson Fisher Eight Hundred Years. The Story of Nottingham's Jews.)

Rabbi Eliezer Schneelbalg

Rabbi Schneelbalg has served as rabbi of Machzikei Hadass Edgware Beth Hamedrash London, from about 1995 until present - May 2021). Widely acknowledged as an expert in the field of kosher certification, Rabbi Schneelbalg is president of The International Kosher Organisation, a kosher certification agency. (JYB listings and Uniquely Edgware website.)

Rabbi Yitzchak Y. Schochet
(b. c.1965)

Toronto-born Rabbi Schochet, (m. Chani), son of Rabbi Jacob Immanuel Schochet, received semicha in 1988 and later gained a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from University College London. He served as part-time minister of Richmond Synagogue, southwest London (1991-1993) and taught Jewish studies at the Jewish Free School. Since 1993 to present (October 2021), he has been rabbi at Mill Hill Synagogue, northwest London. He is a regular columnist and writer principally in the UK Jewish press. Rabbi Schochet served on the Chief Rabbi's Cabinet with the portfolio of the family and as chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue. (JYB listings and Mill Hill congregation's website.)

Rev. Moses A. Schreiber

Rev. Schreiber served as chazan and shochet of the Sunderland Hebrew Congregation (1866-1869) and as chazan of the Cracow Chevra congregation, Manchester (from 1870). (Arnold Levy, Sunderland Jewish Community; various JC reports.)

Rev. Max Schulman

Rev. M. Schulman served as minister of the Oxford Synagogue in 1883 and 1884 and provided daily kosher meals for students during term time. He also served briefly as minister of the Norwich Hebrew Congregation, Norfolk, from 1893. (Henry Levine's The Norwich Hebrew Congregation 1940-1960 - A Short History; JC reports; and The Jews of Oxford (1992) by D.M. Lewis.)

Rev. Pinchas Zevulun Schulman
(c.1848 - 23 September 1934)

Rev. Schulman (m. Miriam Eidelson, 1863-1949), from Lithuania or Latvia, served as reader and shochet at the Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation, Breconshire (now in Gwent), South Wales, from April 1893 until February 1895, when he was compelled to give that up the position because of acute rheumatism. A fund was created to set him up as a provision dealer. He was the father-in-law of Rev. Solomon Wolman, who succeeded him at Brynmawr. He died in Johannesburg, South Africa. (JC reports.)

Rev. J. Schulsinger
(c.1870 - 16 January 1919)

Rev. Schulsinger was appointed reader at the Cardiff New Hebrew Congregation, Edward Place, in 1893. In July 1894, he was reportedly appointed chazan and baal koreh at Fashion Street synagogue, probably a reference to Chevra Bikkur Cholim, which was then in Fashion Street in London's East End. He died in London. (Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 867.)

Rev. Maurice Schwartz

Rev. Maurice Schwartz was born in Hungary where he studied at yeshiva and obtained semicha. He was chazan to the Portsmouth and Southsea Hebrew Congregation from 1926 until 1946 (having served as a chaplain during the war). Rev. Schwartz was a kashrut supervisor for the Queen Mary and the Acquitania, and his name featured on all kosher menus issued by the White Star Line. From 1946, Rev. Schwartz pursued a career in the USA. He was Cantor, Baal Koreh shochet and mohel at the Shaarei Tefilah Congregation in Indianapolis and in 1949 he was in addition appointed the congregation's rabbi. In 1956 the Ner Israel Congregation, Los Angeles, retained the services of Rabbi Schwartz as their cantor. (He is not to be confused with Rev. Maurice Schwartz of Swansea and Luton.) (Jewish Post, Indianapolis 2 December 1949; Bnei Brith Messenger 10 August 1956, both reports available on line.)

Rev. Maurice (Marcus) Schwartz (or Schwarz)
(8 September 1909 - 19 April 2000)

Rev. Schwartz (or Schwarz) (m. Fay Shenderey in Liverpool - d. 1998) was for 15 years chazan to the Swansea Beth Hamedrash (from about 1932 to January 1945). He was then briefly minister at the Darlington Hebrew Congregation (1945-c.1946) and served as reader and shochet at the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation (1950-1959). In 1959, he was appointed minister at Hounslow and District Synagogue, west London, until 1964. Rev Schwartz returned to Swansea in May 1964 to become reader, shochet and teacher at the Swansea Hebrew Congregation, serving until 1975. Rev. Schwartz was then part-time reader at Luton Hebrew Congregation, Bedfordshire, and headmaster at its Hebrew classes from 1975 until his retirement in about 1989 (or possibly 1995). He was a resident of the Nightingale Care Home in London. (He is not to be confused with Rev. Maurice Schwartz of Portsmouth.) (JC press reports and JYB listings; and 1980 souvenir brochure of the Swansea congregation, p.67.)

Rev. Yossi Schwarz

Manchester-born Rev. Schwarz studied in Israel and has served as chazan (cantor) of Edgware United Synagogue, London from 2011 to the present October 2021). (Profile on the congregation's website.)

Rabbi Yosef (Yossi) Yitzchok Schwei

New York born Rabbi Y.Y. Schwei (m. Rivka), son of Rov Rabbi Aharon Yaacov Schwei (z"l) of Crown Heights, New York, was involved in outreach work and learning programmes for children and adults as a yeshiva student in Morristown, New Jersey and New Haven, Connecticut, as well as in Montreal, Canada and the former Soviet Union. He obtained semicha at Central Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in New York in September 1988. He has served as rabbi of Luton Hebrew Congregation, Bedfordshire. (since 2011 known as Luton United Synagogue) , for over 30 years, from 1990 until present - December 2022. (Profile on United Synagogue website and online reports.)

Rev. Aron Secemski

Rev. Secemski, from Poland, was described as being of Burgess Hill, Sussex, in 1944, where he may have served a small Jewish community comprised of evacuees and local residents. He was writing to the Jewish press from Liverpool in 1947. From 1949 until 1955 Rev. A Secemski gave the address at the annual prize day at Hornsey and Wood Green Affiliated Synagogue religion classes, north London. He may be the Aron Secemski, born in Lodz in 1909, who was in June 1939 allowed to disembark in England from the refugee ship, the St Louis. An Aron Secemski is buried at the Adass Yisroel cemetery at Chesunt. (Various JC reports, naturalisation recorded in the London Gazette 21 June 1949; Holocaust encyclopedia website.)

Rabbi David Edgar Sèches
(30 October 1864 - 13 September 1942)

Rabbi Edgar Sèches (as he was generally referred to) was born in Bordeaux, France and studied at the Séminaire Théologique of Paris. He was appointed chazan / minister of the Montefiore Synagogue, Ramsgate, Kent, in 1886, the year following the death of Sir Moses Montefiore. Unfortunately, some months following his appointment in Ramsgate, he became ill and had to retire. He returned to France and obtained semicha in 1888 and a masters degree in 1890. He served as rabbi at Melia and Saint Etienne. In 1898, he declined the appointment as Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria on the ground that he could speak neither Bulgarian nor Ladino, the laguages spoken by most Jews in Sofia. He later served as Grand Rabbin of Lille and in 1916 as interim Grand Rabbin of Lyon. (Jolles's Encyclopaedia p. 868; and Kelly & Tripp's Ramsgate Jewish Cemetey 1872-2015.)

Bernard Louis Segal
(d. January 1962)

Lithuania born Rev. B. Segal (m. Fanny - d. 1945) held positions in Edinburgh and Leeds. In 1920 he became second reader and shochet to the Harrogate Hebrew Congregation, Yorkshire, serving with Rev. Eli Kahan for all but the last year of his 33 year term there. He retired in 1953. Rev. Segal was the brother of the Rev. Morris Segal of Dunfermline and Dundee and the grandfather of Rev. Malcolm Weisman, minister to small communities. (Rosalyn D. Livshin's The History of the Harrogate Jewish community, 1995; JC obituary 26 January 1962.)

Rev. Morris Symon Segal
(b. c.1888)

Lithuania born Rev. M. Segal (m. Millie Sclar, 1924) served as minister in Leven, Fife, eastern Scotland, and then as reader, shochet and teacher in Edinburgh. He was minister of Dunfermline Hebrew Congregation, eastern Scotland, from about 1924 until the synagogue closed in 1944. From 1945 to 1963, he served as minister at the Dundee Hebrew Congregation. In 2005, the city of Dunfirmline, named a street, "Segal Place", in his memory. He was the brother of Rev. Bernard Segal of Harrogate. (JYB listings and Scotland’s Jews - A Guide to the History and Community of the Jews in Scotland by Dr. K. Collins, 2008, p.48.)

Rabbi Moses Hirsch (Zvi) Segal
(23 September 1875 - 11 January 1968)

Rabbi Segal, M.A., was born in Maishad, Lithuania (then part of the Russian Empire) and moved to Britain in the 1890s, receiving semicha in 1902. He studied at the Universities of London and Oxford and gained a B.A. in 1906 and an M.A in 1910. He had joined the staff of a Yiddish newspaper in London and when he came to Oxford he is remembered as keeping a Hebrew-speaking house. He assisted at high holyday services at the Oxford Synagogue in 1900 and in the following year was appointed minister, serving until 1909. He then served as minister of the Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation (Leazes Park Road Synagogue) (c.1909-c.1918). He became very involved in the Zionist movement and in 1918, went to Palestine for a year at the request of Chaim Weizmann as a member of the Zionist Commission. He returned to England and served as minister of Swansea Hebrew Congregation (1921-c.1923) and Bristol Hebrew Congregation (c.1924-c.1925). In 1926, Rabbi Segal made aliya to Palestine, where he adopted the name Moshe Zvi Segal, joining the teaching staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was appointed Professor of Mishnaic Hebrew in 1929. He was awarded the Bialik Prize in 1936 and the Israel Prize in 1954. He was the father of Prof. Judah Benzion Segal, who became one of the leaders of the Reform Judaism movement, and Lord Samuel Segal of Wytham, a politician and Jewish communal leader. ("Who's Who" entries and listings in JYBs; The Jews of Oxford (1992) by D.M. Lewis; 1980 souvenir brochure of the Swansea congregation, p.55; and Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History (2011) , pp.888/9.)

Rev. Pesach Segal
(b. 1938)

Manchester-born Rabbi Segal was born in Manchester and was the grandson of Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Segalthe, distinguished head (from 1913) of Manchester Yeshiva and the nephew of Rev. Aaron Segal. He was studied at Manchester Yeshiva from the age of 11. He served as chazan of the Manchester Great Synagogue (1956-1958) and used to alternate services with Rev. Moshe Perlman between the older synagogue building (the "Great" - where Segal was based) and the newer Stenecourt synagogue. He went to Ponovezh Yeshivah at Bnei Brak, Israel, to study chazanut and voice production. In 1960, he was appointed reader to the Cardiff United Synagogue He studied at Guildhall School of Music in London, Trinity College of Music in London, and at Cardiff College of Music. From 1962, he served Hendon Adath Yisroel Synagogue, London, where he has officiated for at least forty-nine years. (Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 871.)

Rev. Shalom Segal
(d. 1983)

Rev. Shalom (or Scholom) Segal was born in Kharkov, Russia, the son of a rabbi there. He was assistant minister and headmaster of the Hebrew classes of the the Southport Hebrew Congregation, Lancashire (1936-1945) and then became senior minister and headmaster of the classes at the Childwall Hebrew Congregation, Liverpool (1945-69). He left Liverpool to become head of Jewish studies at Carmel College, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. In 1980 Rev. Segal retired to Netanya, Israel, and he died in Jerusalem in 1983. He was the grandson of Rev. Jacob Mendel Teitelman of Edinburgh and the nephew of the head of Manchester yeshiva, Rav Segal. ("Philanthropy, Consensus and Broiges...a history of the Southport Jewish Community by John Cowell", p.694; JC reports and obituary, 29 July 1983.)

Rev. Aaron Selig
(c.1781 - 18 July 1841)

Rev. A. Selig, from London, served briefly as minister of the Penzance Jewish Congregation in about 1808. He then returned to London but was back in Penzance in 1811, where he lived for a number of years. He was also a shochet and traded as a jeweller and on three occasions, between 1821 and 1829, was recorded as having disputes with the congregation, which he left. He was buried at Penzance Jewish cemetery. He was the father of Rev. Benjamin Aaron Selig, who served as minister in Melbourne, Australia, and shochet and reader in Wellington, New Zealand. ("The Lost Jews of Cornwall" by Kieth Pearce, Helen Fry and Godfrey Simmons.)

Rev. Hyman Selig

Rev. H. Selig from Copenhagen, Denmark, served as reader, shochet and teacher at the Penzance Jewish Congregation from November 1815 until about 1916. ("The Lost Jews of Cornwall" by Kieth Pearce, Helen Fry and Godfrey Simmons.)

Rev. Shachtel

Rev. Shachtel served probably as assistant minister or reader of the South Shields Synagogue from about 1908 for a short period and as minister of Newcastle Beth Hamedrash (c.1919-c.1921) ("The Jewish Communities of North-East England" by Lewis Olsover (1980), pp.256-260 and JYB listings.)

Rabbi Jacob Shachter
(1886 - 1971)

Romanian-born Rabbi Shachter (m. Henia), the son of Rabbi Abraham Shachter, obtained semicha in 1911. He initially served as rabbi in Galatz, Romania (1913-1920). In 1920, he emigrated to Britain to serve as rabbi to the New Rumanian Synagogue, Manchester. In 1926, he was appointed rabbi to the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (1926-1954), the longest serving rabbi in the history of the Belfast community. In 1936, he was awarded an honorary MA by Queen's University Belfast. During the Second World War he served as a non-commissioned chaplain to the Forces in Northern Ireland and was also responsible for the religious and general welfare of the Gibraltar Jewish evacuee community evacuated to Saintfield, County Down. Following his retirement from the Belfast post in 1954, he settled in Jerusalem, where he died. Rabbi Shachter published Ingathering (Jerusalem, 1966) and was the author and translator of several rabbinic works. (Ingathering by Jacob Shachter and JC obituary; "Saintfield' on the Northern Ireland Jewish Heritage Map.)

Rabbi Naftali Shakowitzky (or Sachs)
(1899 - 23 August 1963)

Rabbi N. Shakowitzky (m. Chaya Rochel Droshkovitz) was the son of the Minsker Maggid, Rav Binyomin HaKohen Shakowitzky. He was at the esteemed Kolel of Kovno, Lithuania, when appointed as the rav at Gateshead Hebrew Congregation, which he served from 1937 until his death in 1963, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Rabbi Bezalel Rakow. He was the father of Rabbi Mordechai Shakowitzky. He is buried in Jerusalem. (JYB listings; The Jewish Communities of North-East England by Lewis Olsover (1980), p.242; and The Sunderland Beth Hamedresh 1889-1999 by Derek Taylor & Harold David (2010), p.138.)

Rev. Herman Shandel
(c. 1847 - 13 June 1924)

Polish-born Rev. Shandel briefly served the Jewish community in Liverpool and London before being appointed by Sir Moses Montefiore in 1876 as shochet/reader, and later minister, at the Montefiore Synagogue, Ramsgate, Kent, and worked there for forty-eight years until his death. He greatly admired Sir Moses Montefiore and built up an impressive collection of Montefioriana, as well as other Jewish manuscripts and articles of vertu, some of which were priceless and almost unique. He visited the Holy Land in 1911. During World War I, he served as Jewish chaplain to the British Forces in Eastern Command. He died in Ramsgate and is buried in the Ramsgate Jewish cemetery. His son, Lewis Shandel, secretary of the Ramsgate congregation and editor of the Thanet Advertiser, died unexpectedly the following yeat. (The East Kent Times obituary 18 June 1924; Kelly & Tripp's Ramsgate Jewish Cemetey 1872-2015; and Times obituary 26 October 1925.)

Rev. S. Shapira

Rev. Shapira served as reader and shochet of Grimsby Hebrew Congregation, Lincolnshire in about 1871. (The Story of the Grimsby Jewish Community by D. & L. Gerlis, 1986.)

Rev. J.M. Shatz

Rev. J.M. Shatz served as a minister of Limerick Synagogue (c.1919-c.1920) (See also Rev. M. Shatz, below, possibly the same person.) (JYB listings)

Rev. M. Shatz

Rev. M. (or N.) Shatz (also spelled Schatz) served as a minister of the Coventry Hebrew Congregation from at least 1896 until early 1900s and as temporary minister of Londonderry Hebrew Congregation, (Northern) Ireland (c.1915-c.1917). (See also Rev. J.M. Shatz, above, possibly the same person.) (JYB listings and JC reports.)

Rev. Dr. Alan Shaw

Rev. (later Dr.) Alan Shaw (m. Jacqueline) was the son of Rabbi Joseph Shaw. Although he served two terms as minister of Staines and District Synagogue (1979-1981 and 1986-1988), he spent most of his career in education, as head of Jewish studies and later headmaster of Ilford Jewish Primary School, headmaster of Moriah Jewish Day School and headmaster of Hasmonean Primary School, all in London. (On-line profile and Information provided by a former member of the Staines community.)

Rabbi Andrew Shaw

Rabbi Andrew Shaw (m. Gila) served as community development rabbi at Stanmore and Canons Park District Synagogue, London (2000-2015) and was founder of the United Synagogue TRIBE youth movement and served as director of the United Synagogue's Living & Learning department. He was subsequently appointed Chief Executive of Mizrachi UK (2015 to present - June 2020). (United Synagogue press reports.)

Rabbi Joseph Shaw
(b. 2 July 1922 - 7 March 2001)

London-born Rabbi Shaw (m. Fay), studied at Jews' College and was Hesther Rothschild and Hollier Hebrew scholar at University College London. He later studied at Etz Chaim yeshiva. He was briefly minister of Sutton and District Synagogue, London in 1948 and then for three years served as assistant minister of Hampstead Synagogue, London (c.1949-c.1952). The remainder of his career was at Palmers Green and Southgate District Synagogue, London (1952-1987). He obtained semicha at Jews' College in 1957. Rabbi Shaw was chaplain to the National Association of Jewish Friendship Clubs (1985-93). On retirement he was appointed emeritus minister and also worked for the marriage registration department at the London Bet Din. He was the father of Rev. Alan Shaw. (JYB Listings and Who's Who.)

Rabbi Moishe Shaw

North London born Rabbi Shaw (m. Sarah) was part-time minister of Edmonton and Tottenham Synagogue, and was responsible for publishing children's material for the United Synagogue's Board of Education. In 1990 he became assistant minister to the Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation, Sussex. In addition to youth and adult education work, and other congregational duties, each weekend Rabbi Shaw and his wife moved from their home in Hove to a flat on the Congregation's Middle Street synagogue premises, in central Brighton, to lead services and offer Shabbat hospitality. However, in 1992, according to media reports, the Congregation reluctantly felt obliged to dispense with the services of its assistant minister because of declining numbers and resources, although the JYB continues to list him a a minister until 1985. (JYB; various JC reports.)

Rabbi Pinchas Shebson
(c.1909 - 1985)

Polish-born Rabbi Shebson (formerly Pinchos Szebszynski) studied from childhood at Grodno and Bialystok yeshivot and at the Takhemoni Rabbinical Seminary in Warsaw, obtaining semicha from the Warsaw Beth Din at the age of 20. He came to England in 1930, entered Jews' College (m. Sarah Viner in Liverpool in 1933) and served as minister of the Grimsby Hebrew Congregation (1933-1947), Woolwich & Plumstead Synagogue, London (1947-1949), and Ohel Shem Synagogue, Willesden, London (1949-1951). Rabbi Shebson then served as senior minister to the Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation (1951-1979), where he established the local Jewish youth club in its own new building, inspired the erection of a Talmud Torah and, despite opposition, secured the establishment of the Herzlia Day School. Following retirement to Finchley, north west London, he was an energetic and effective community activist, growing support for the Jewish Welfare Board by setting up local branches across London, served as a frequent Joint Israel Appeal speaker, and was active in the Mizrachi religious Zionist movement. Rabbi Shebson is buried in Bushey Cemetery and over 800 attended his memorial service at Southend synagogue. His daughter married Bernard Garbacz, the son of his colleague at Southend, Rev. Ayeh Garbacz. (Profile on the SWHC website by Anne Marcus; and JC obituary 6 September 1985 and various reports.)

Rev. Abraham Shechter
(c.1894 - 1958)

Warsaw-born Rev. Shechter (or Schechter) studied at Lomza yeshiva and trained in chazanut by (amongst others) Chazan Sirota. Prior to World War I, he was principal chazan at a synagogue in Bialystok. Rev. Shechter (m. Rebecca Rachel d. 1969) came to Britain in the 1920s and worked briefly at the Commercial Road Great Synagogue, east London, and served as reader of the then newly-established Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation and Beth Hamedrash - Ravensworth Terrace Synagogue (c.1924-c.1927). He subsequently served as chazan of Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation (c.1927-1929) and then became chazan of the newly-opened Willesden Green and Cricklewood Hebrew Congregation (which became the Cricklewood Synagogue), north west London, where he served for 28 years (1929-1958). Sadly, Rev Shechter died the day before he was due to retire, collapsing while taking a service at the synagogue. (JYB listings and JC obituary of 11 July 1958.)

Rev. Mendel Sheinfield
(c.1876 - 24 June 1936)

Rev. Sheinfield served as reader atf the breakaway Bradford New Hebrew Orthodox Congregation, Yorkshire, from about 1910 to about 1911 and as reader at the Cardiff New Hebrew Congregation, Edward Place and later Windsor Place, from about 1913 until about 1919. (JYB listings.)

Rev. Nathan Shenny
(1944 - 21 July 2001)

Liverpool born Rev. Shenny was the son of Joseph Shenny, beadle of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation for 26 years. He attended the Gateshead Jewish Boarding School, a yeshiva in London and studied for two years at a yeshiva at Bnei Brak, Israel. Rev. Shenny was briefly minister of Birkenhead Synagogue (1964-1965), aged only 20, while he was training to be a shochet. He was the brother of Rabbi Michael Shenny. He died in Manchester. (JC report 21 August 1964 and online research.)

Rev. Avrom Sherr
(b. 1949)

Rev. Sherr (m. Lorraine) was educated at Carmel College and was a graduate of the London School of Economics. He was appointed lecturer in law at Warwick University in 1974 and while teaching at the University (which is located in Coventry) he was for some time non-resident part-time minister of the Coventry Hebrew Congregation and also commuted regularly from London (c.1987). He is an emeritus professor at the Institute of Advanced Legal studies. (Various JC reports.)

Rev. Jacob (Jack) Sherman
(1914 - 19 March 2004)

Rev. Sherman, born in London's East End (m. Doris), served in his first post as choirmaster at the Mile End & Bow District Synagogue, London. Whilst he was working there, he attended the Guildhall School of Music where he studied music theory and harmony. In 1942, he was appointed to his first cantorial post at the United Synagogue, Manchester, where he remained for two years, and in 1944 he went to the Chassidishe Synagogue, Spencer Place, Leeds. After holding various positions in London, in 1951 he became the chazan of the Dalston Synagogue, Poet's Road, London (1951-1967). When the synagogue in Poet’s Road closed in 1967, Rev. Sherman assisted at other synagogues in London and taught at Jews' College. He served as secretary, and later as president, of the Chazanim Association of Great Britain. (Profile by Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler and JYB listings.)

Rabbi Cyril Israel Shine
(24 January 1923 - 16 October 2003)

London-born Rabbi Shine, BA (m. Marie, 1948) was educated at Etz Chaim yeshiva, Jews' College and London University. From 1942 to about 1944, he was minister and teacher at the Woking United Synagogue Membership Group, Surrey (having, as a student at Jews' College, conducted Shavuot services there in June 1941). He subsequently served as minister of Peterborough Hebrew Congregation, Cambridgeshire (about 1945), Walthamstow and Leyton Synagogue, London (1946-1949), North Finchley and Woodside Park District Synagogue, London (1949-1955) and Central Synagogue, London (1955-c.1988) and was appointed domestic chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen (1960-1961). This was the first time a Jewish chaplain had been appointed to London's Lord Mayor. (JYB listing and Who's Who entries; JC profile 20 September 1946.)

Rev. Ephraim Shine
(6 October 1916 - 1984)
Manchester born Rev. Shine (m Sadie daughter of Rabbi Meyer Berger of Hendon) studied a yeshivot in Gateshead and Manchester. He may have initially served at the South Shields Hebrew Congregation and was reader to the Adath Yisroel Synagogue in Manchester. In 1937 he was appointed as minister and secretary of the Wolverhampton Hebrew Congregation serving until about 1945. During World War II he provided care to soldiers stationed locally and he visited each week with kosher provisions elderly evacuees from the east end of London, who were housed at the Stafford Council Institute. Little is known of Rev. Shine's career after leaving Wolverhampton, but he was living in Hendon, north west London, from at least the mid 1960s. He was the brother of Rev. J Shine of Salford Synagogue. (Various JC reports and family notices; Jewish Year Book listings; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 880.)

Rev. Abraham Shinerock
(4 March 1859 - 17 June 1931)
Rev. Shinerock was born in Lenschitz, province of Karlish, Poland. He appears to have arrived in Hull in about 1898 and in 1907 he was living at 76 Lister Street, Kingston-Upon-Hull. He was then already married with at least seven children. He served various congregations including Hull Western Synagogue; Port Talbot, south Wales; Exeter Hebrew Congregation, Devon (1916-1917); Plymouth, Devon; and also reportedly at Maidenhead during World War I (which appears unlikely as the congregation was not established until World War II). He settled in the East End of London for the last 16 years of his life. (Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 881.)

Rabbi Geoffrey L. Shisler

Rabbi Shisler (m. Anne) qualified as a state teacher, taught Jewish Studies at all levels and for eleven years taught cantorial music and Nusach Hatefillah (traditional prayer modes) at Jews' College, London. During this time, he held part-time positions as chazan at Finchley Central Synagogue and Ilford Federation Synagogue. He formally commenced his synagogue career as chazan at the New Synagogue, Stamford Hill, London (c.1970-1973). This was followed by a call to became chazan/minister at Kenton Synagogue, London, serving the congregation for twenty years (1973-1993), becoming its sole minister in 1992. In 1993, he continued his career with his appointment as minister of the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, serving until 2000, during which period he obtained semicha. He then served as minister of the New West End Synagogue, London (2000-2014). Rabbi Shisler has published musical arrangements and his website includes studies of chazanut and biographies of influential chazzonim. He served as an inspector for Pikuach, the organisation that inspects Jewish education in Jewish Schools. He is a Magistrate and an associate member of The Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star. (Profile on Rabbi Shisler's website; A Kenton Jubilee 1948-1998, edited by J. King, 1998; and JYB listings.)

Rev. Morris Shriberg
(4 June 1886 - 17 October 1963)

Russian-born Rev. Shriberg (m. Minnie) officiated at the high holy day services in the Bolton Hebrew Congregation, Lancashire, in 1905 and may have served the congregation as reader and shochet for some years thereafter. He later served the Tonypandy Synagogue, south Wales (c.1912). He subsequently left the ministry to set up in business. He died in Cardiff. (JC reports and JYB listings.)

Cantor Alwyn Shulman

South African born Rev. Alwyn Shulman, first served Cape Town's New Hebrew Congregation as chazan, going on to the United Orthodox Hebrew Congregation, formed by the merger of the Cape Town New and the Cape Town Orthodox congregations. Appointed chazan in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, in 1991, his duties included teaching at the Stratford Jewish Schools and conducting services at the city's remaining two principle Orthodox synagogues - the Dublin Hebrew Congregation's Adelaide Road Synagogue and Terenure Hebrew Congregation, prior to their merger (finalised in 2004). Following the merger he conducted services at merged congregation, which took the name Dublin Hebrew Congregation. He retired in 2020. (Internet research.)

Rev. Samuel Shynman

Rev. Shynman, who had officiated at Merthyr Tydfil Hebrew Congregation (in 1867 and 1871) was appointed as the first reader and shochet of the Tredegar Hebrew Congregation, south Wales, on the formation of that congregation in about 1872. It appears that he was the son of the congregation's president, Jacob G. Shynman, and was also teacher at the congregation's Hebrew classes. (JC reports; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 884.)

Rev. Leo Sichel
(31 October 1922 - 13 January 1998)

Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Rev. Sichel (m. Gertrude Hoffman in 1948 - d. 1989) was educated in Furth, Germany, where one of his classmates was Henry Kissinger. In 1938 he came to Britain and studied at Gateshead yeshiva (1938-1941). Living for a time in Manchester, he began his congregational career as second reader and teacher to the Swansea Hebrew Congregation (1952-1954). In 1954, Rev Sichel became minister at the Windsor Place (later Penylan) Synagogue of the Cardiff United Synagogue and headmaster of its cheder, until about 1957. He assisted Rabbi Alexander Carlebach as chazan, teacher and shochet to the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (c.1957-c.1958). He was then to serve for 29 years as minister of the Reading Hebrew Congregation (1959-1987). He was appointed chaplain to Reading prison, Broadmoor hospital, and the University of Reading. He was involved with the welfare of residents of nearby Ravenswood Village (a residential centre for people with learning difficulties) and made regular visits there on Friday mornings to help to prepare Shabbat. Rev. Sichel retired in 1988 and was a resident of the Sage nursing home in Golders Green where he died. (JC obituary 6 February 1988; Sue Krisman's Portrait of a Community - Reading Synagogue 1900-2000; and JYB listings.)

Rabbi Sidney Silberg, MA
(1935 - September 2014)

Leeds-born Rabbi Silberg (m. Isabelle Riff from Antwerp, Belgium) obtained a BA and a minister's diploma at Jews' College, where he was chairman of the students union. Between 1955 and 1957 he was assistant minister to Dayan M. Lew at Hampstead Garden Synagogue, while studying for semicha (obtained in 1962). Rabbi Silberg then accepted the call of Ealing and Acton District Synagogue. In June 1967 he took up the post of rabbi of Jesmond Hebrew Congregation, Newcastle upon Tyne, leaving in 1973, when that congregation merged into the Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation. In 1973, he became rabbi of Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. He had responsibility for Soviet Jewish affairs in the Chief Rabbi's cabinet (1976-1980), and later for Israeli affairs. In 1977 be became the first ever Jewish mayoral chaplain in Bournemouth. His final ministerial appointment was as minister at Hendon United Synagogue, London (1981-1997). He set up the Shul's first Keilim Mikvah and its Chevra Kadisha and in his farewell address, he said he had conducted 950 funerals, the same number of stone-settings, and more than 300 weddings. He retired to Israel. He was a talented calligrapher and designer of Ketubot, Mezuzot and Megillot. He died in Jerusalem. (JYB listings, JC reports.)

Rabbi Shimshon D. Silkin

Rabbi Silkin learned in Yeshivas Shaarei Torah (Manchester) and Mir Yeshiva (Jerusalem) and received semicha at Yeshivas Haran in Ramot, Israel (as well as from Dayan Goldberg). He holds a diploma in psychology from the University of London and a degree in Rabbinic Education from the Jerusalem Leadership College. Rabbi Silkin served as rabbi of Aish Communal Synagogue, Hendon, London (c.2008-c.2010), senior interim rabbi of Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue, Hertfordshire (2011-2013) and rabbi of Beis Yisrael - Ner Yisrael Borehamwood (2011-2013). He is the director of Chazon UK, a London-based organisation which provides classes, seminars and events for the Orthodox community. (JYB listings and on-line biography.)

Rev. Harold Silman, BA
(28 May 1920 - 27 January 2002)

London-born Harold Silman (m. Daphne), a metallurgist chemist by profession, was lay reader / minister of the Norwich Hebrew Congregation (1968-1970) and then full-time lay minister, kashrut supervisor, teacher and communal organiser for the Northampton Hebrew Congregation (1970-1993). He was largely self-taught and had little formal training as a minister. He was awarded a Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen scholarship for his services to small communities and published a comparative report on the organisation of small Jewish communities in USA. (JC obituary 24 May 2002.)

Rev. S. Silver

From London, Rev. S. Silver served the Chester Hebrew Congregation, Cheshire (1922-c.1924) and the Wrexham Hebrew Congregation, North Wales (1922-c.1927), having been elected minister of both congregation in January 1922 . (JC report and JYB listings.)

Rabbi Chananya Silverman

Liverpool-born Rev. (later Rabbi) Silverman, who has a BSc in management sciences and MA in educational management, studied at Aish HaTorah Yeshivah in Israel and received semichah from Jews' College, London. He served as minister of Enfield and Winchmore Hill Synagogue, London (c.1993-c.1999). He was head of Sixth Form Studies at the Jewish Free School and Director of Operations at the Jewish Learning Exchange. He is Business Manager at Beis Yaakov Primary School, London. (JYB listings and on-line profile.)

Rabbi Vivian C. Silverman
(b. 1944)

Liverpool-born Rabbi Silverman (m Lynette Mirvis, sister of chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis) was educated at Etz Chaim yeshiva, Jews' College and London University. As religious adviser to the Ilford Jewish youth centre at Redbridge, in 1970 he was inducted associate minister of Ilford (United) Synagogue by senior minister, Rev. S. Black, and tasked with setting up a community in the Clayhall district and became the first part-time minister of the Clayhill Synagogue. He was then minister of the United Orthodox Hebrew Congregation in Cape Town, South Africa, and part-time lecturer in the University of Cape Town's department of religious studies. Rabbi Silverman received semicha from Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Bernard Casper in 1979. In 1987 he returned to the UK to become minister to the Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue, Essex, and was subsequently minister at the Central Synagogue, London (1989-c.1995). In 1995 he was acting rabbi to the Dublin Hebrew Congregation, Adelaide Road, Dublin, and the Terenure Hebrew Congregation, Dublin. From 1996 until his retirement 20 years later he served the Hove Hebrew Congregation, Holland Road synagogue. (JYB listings; JC profile January 1996; and various reports.)

Rev. Jacob Moses Silverston
(c.1873 - 9 February 1936)

Rev. Silverston (formerly Silverstone) was born in Szczuczyn, Grajewo County, northern Poland (then within the Russian Empire, close the the Prussian border) (m. Wilhelmina or Mina Simberg, born 1874, Grajewo). He served the Middlesbrough Hebrew Congregation from 1 October 1897 until his death in 1936, initially as chazan, headmaster and shochet and later, from about 1923, as assistant minister, jointly with Rev. S. Turtledove. He was also assistant headmaster at the congregation's Jewish school / religious classes and, at least from 1930, the local mohel. He was the composer of many liturgical pieces including a special setting of Hallel. (JYB listings, JC obituary 6 March 1936, reports and internet research. See also family wedding photograph.)

Rabbi Dr Alec Eli Silverstone
(9 March 1897 - 27 June 1982)

Manchester-born, Rabbi Silverstone (m.1st Helena Amias (divorced 1943), 2nd Jessie Weitzman) was the son of Rabbi Simon Silverstone. He studied at the Manchester Yeshiva (where he obtained semicha in 1918) and the Manchester University (BA and MA and a Doctorate in 1924). He was minister of the Sunderland Hebrew Congregation (1924-1927) and of Southport Hebrew Congregation from 1927 until his retirement, aged 70, in March 1967 when he became emeritus minister of the congregation. President of the Southport Zionist Society and vice president of the Mizrachi Federation of Great Britain, Rabbi Silverstone was a scholar of Judaism, with a particular interest in the Jewish attitude to spiritualism. His sister was the wife of Rev. Benson Fertleman. His publications include The Great Beyond and Other Essays on Resurrection, Immortality, Spiritualism and Cognate Matters (1932). ("Philanthropy, Consensus and Broiges...a history of the Southport Jewish Community" by John Cowell, p.602; JC obituary 2 July 1982.)

Rabbi Gedaliah (George) Silverstone
(1871 - 1944)

Rabbi Silverstone (m. Rivka Baker, 1892 in Liverpool) was born Gedaliah Zylbersztejn in Jasionowka, Russian Empire, where his maternal grandfather was rabbi. When he was aged two, the family moved to Sakot, Kovno Governorate, where his father, Rabbi Yeshyahu Meir, was appointed rabbi. He studied at yeshivas in Ruzhany and Telz and in 1891 he and his family moved to Britain, settling initially in Liverpool. From 1901 to 1906, he served as a rabbi to the Belfast Hebrew Congregation, principally serving the immigrant community in North Belfast. He was a delegate to the sixth Zionist Congress. In about 1907, Rabbi Silverstone and his family left Britain for the USA and became the first Orthodox rabbi in Washington DC. He was appointed rabbi of Ohev Sholom Congregation, Washington DC and from 1911 simultaneously served the newly-founded Kesher Israel Congregation in Georgetown, Washington DC, until 1923. He died in Jerusalem and is buried on the Mount of Olives. He authored over 30 Hebrew books and pamphlets on religious subjects.  (Research by Steven Jaffe, including internet research and The A - Z DNA of Belfast and Northern Irish Jewry by Stuart Rosenblatt.)

Rev. Barnet Asher Simmons
(1784 - 19 November 1860)

Middlesex (now London) born Rev. Simmons (Avraham Issacher ben Asher) (m. Flora Jacob of Redruth) had been apprenticed for six years, from the age of 14, to a japanner and painter in Denmark Court, London. He may then have served a spell in the Navy. In December 1811 he was was engaged by Lemon Hart, president of the Penzance Jewish Congregation, to serve as minister, shochet and mohel of the congregation, serving initially from 1811, with a number of short breaks (during which periods others were employed), until 1854. Between 1854 and 1857, he stayed with a married daughter at Merthyr Tydfil, whilst Rev. Solomon Cohen served at Penzance. Rev. Simmons returned to Penzance and served there between 1857 and 1859. He was the longest standing minister in Cornwall, although his term of office was marred with a number of disputes and upsets, often relating to his role as shochet. He also ran a small huckster's shop in Market Jew Street, Penzance, selling crockery and other small household goods. He was buried at Penzance Jewish cemetery. He was the father-in-law of Rev. Joseph Benedict Rintel of Falmouth, who on occasions acted as locum in Penzance. ("The Lost Jews of Cornwall" by Kieth Pearce, Helen Fry and Godfrey Simmons.)

Rev. Marcus S. Simmons

Rabbi M.S. Simmons served as minister of the Cardiff New Hebrew Congregation, Windsor Place, from about 1924 until 1929 when he was appointed to Garnethill Synagogue, Glasgow. Here he served until 1932 when, following a dispute relating to liturgical changes, he was appointed to Pollokshields Synagogue, Glasgow. (JYB listings; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 890.)

Rabbi Hillel Simon

Rabbi H. Simon was born in West Lafayette, Indiana, and received semicha from Rabbi Yeruslavski of Kiryat Malachi, Israel and Rabbi Yisroel Piekarski of New York. After spending two years in advanced rabbinic studies and outreach with Lubavitch of Leeds, he served as minister of Bristol Hebrew Congregation (1992-2002). An Adjunct Teacher for the Montefiore Kollel Smicha Programme (2003-2004), he subsequently becomes a chief kashrut Inspector for KLBD (London Beth Din) from 2005. (JYB listings and on-line profile and LinkedIn profile.)

Rev. Isidore Simon
(1849 - 15 Apriil 1922)

Rev. Simon (m. Czisza or Kitty Avner on 10 April 1872 at the Great Synagogue, London) was from Serey (probably today Seirijai in southern Lithuania), the son of a Talmud teacher known as Rabbi Shimmelle der Melamed (see the JC report "Death of a Talmud teacher," 23 November 1900). He came to England in 1867. His first post was at Oxford Synagogue (1869-c.1870). He held a post at Manchester University from 1871 and , was minister of the Southampton Hebrew Congregation (c.1875-early 1884), and then returned to Manchester. For the next 38 years, Rev. Simon served South Manchester Synagogue (1884-1922), first as reader and then also as minister and was instrumental in the building of the congregation's new synanagogue (at Wilbraham Road, Fallowfield), consecrated in 1913. In the wider community he was hon. secretary of the Manchester Visitation Board and the Manchester Branch of the Jewish Protection Society, and a member of the board of management of the Victoria Memorial Jewish Hospital. Rev. Simon also frequently acted as visiting minister to Blackpool Hebrew Congregation (mainly 1898-1902), prior to that congregation appointing a minister of its own. He was the father of Sir Leon Simon CB, born 1881 in Southampton, who was a leading British Zionist and civil servant who took part in the drafting of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and who served on the Zionist Commission with Chaim Weizmann and was later President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (JC profile on the Golden Wedding anniversary of Rev and Mrs Simon 7 April 1922, various other JC reports; online research; and JYB listings.)

Rev. Samuel Simon
(c.1781 - 1866)

Rev. S. Simon, a vendor of spectacles, served as minister of the breakaway congregation at Parade Row Synagogue, Hull, Yorkshire, from 1809 until 1826, when the congregation merged into the united Hull Hebrew Congregation at Robinson Row, of which he became the full-time minister/reader and shochet until at least 1853. ("The History of Hull's Orthodox Synagogues" by Elliot Oppel, 2000.)

Rabbi Julian (Yedidya) Sinclair

Londoner Rabbi Sinclair (m. Yaffa Aranoff) studied at Yeshivat Hamivtar, Efrat, and obtined semicha. He was also awarded a BA from Oxford University and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, Massachusetts. He served as chaplain for Jewish students at the University of Cambridge (1999-2003), where he also taught in the Divinity School. Before moving to Israel, he was an an economist for the British government and he now works in the Israeli clean tech world, is the senior rabbinic scholar at Hazon, a leading US Jewish environmental organization, and vice president of a Jerusalem-based solar energy company. (JYB listings and online research.)

Rabbi David Singer

Birmingham-born Rabbi Singer (m. Judith) obtained semicha in 1981 from Yeshivat HaNegev, Netivot, Israel and is also a qualified sofer, mohel and shochet. He returned to Birmingham and served as assistant rabbi and chazan to the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation (1992 to 1995) and as head of religious education at King David Primary School, Birmingham. He then went back to Israel and worked as a yeshiva teacher and was a medic and ambulance driver with Magen David Adom. Following his return to Britain, he was appointed minister of the Belfast Jewish Community (2013-2018). He left Belfast on his appointment as rabbi of Ilford Federation Synagogue, London (2018 to present - October 2020) (JC reports and Belfast Jewish Record 2013.)

Rev. E. Singer

Born in Czechoslovakia, Rev. Singer was principal reader at Brno. He was also reader in Alsace, France, and at the Segur Synagogue, Paris. During the war he served in the Czechoslovak Allied Army. He served as reader of the Beth Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue, Leeds (c.1949-1951) and the Yeshurun Synagogue, Edgware, London (1951-c.1956). (JC profile 16 March 1951; and JYB listings.)

Rabbi Mordechai (Marcus) Singer
(12 January 1926 - 7 March 1998)

Vienna born Rabbi Singer (m. Alice, daughter of Dayan Krausz from Leeds) was brought to England in 1938, aged 12, on the Kindertransport, by Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld. From the Dovercourt reception camp, he ended up in the  village of Shefford, in Bedfordshire, where he came under the care of Dr Judith Grunfeld. He studied at Aria College, Portsmouth, and at yeshivot in Glasgow, London, and at Gateshead, from where he gained semicha (in about 1967), and obtained a BA in Oriental studies, Hebrew and Arabic from London University. As Rev. Singer, he served as chazan at the Bradford Hebrew Congregation, Yorkshire, (1951-c.1955), as minister at the Notting Hill Synagogue, west London (1961-1965), and was appointed minister of the Ohel Shem Synagogue, Willesden (1965-1969). For the next 25 years, Rabbi Singer was senior minister at Birmingham Central Synagogue (1969-1994). He was principal of the Talmud Torah and an inspector of Birmingham's shechitah board, and was instrumental in the building of a new mikveh in the city. He pioneered the introduction of the Project Seed learning programme to Birmingham. He retired to Gateshead where he died. (JC obituary 27 March 1998; JYB listings)

Rabbi Yaakov Singer

Rabbi J. Singer was born in Israel and received semicha in 2006 from The Shehebar Sephardic Center (SSC) in Jerusalem's Old City. An elementary school Kodesh teacher, he served briefly as the interim minister on the formation in 2015 of the east London congregation of Woodford Forest United Synagogue, formed by the merger of Waltham Forest Hebrew Congregation and Wanstead and Woodford United Synagogue. (Various JC report.)

Rev. Aaron K. Slavinsky
(c.1880 - 6 April 1961)

Rev. Slavinsky, born in Rogona (probably Ragana, now in Latvia) (m. Rachel, daughter of the Rev. Chaim Z. Maccoby of London), studied at Ponivezh Yeshiva in Lithuania. He was for nearly three years reader of the Greenfield Street Synagogue, east London (c.1900-1903). He was then first reader at the Old Central Synagogue, Leeds (c.1903-1907). It was described as an "unenviable position", given the synagogue's financial circumstances. In 1907, he was appointed reader (and, from about 1912, minister) of the Plymouth Hebrew Congregation, Devon, leaving in 1917 to serve the Notting Hill Synagogue, London, but returning to Plymouth in May 1918. Rev. Slavinsky was then reader of North London Synagogue, Islington, for over 30 years, from 1919 until he retired in 1950. He died in London and is buried at Willesden cemetery. (Details from headstone inscription, Willesden cemetery, JC obituary 14 April 1961, and reports 12 July and 9 August 1907, Helen Fry's The Jews of Plymouth (2015); and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 896.)

Rev. Lazarus Jacob Slevansky
(c.1843 - 29 September 1909)

Polish-born Rev. Slevansky (m. Hannah) studied at yeshivot in Kovno and Vilna. He was a somewhat itinerant shochet and undertook other congregational duties at: Norwich Hebrew Congregation (1872-1874), Swansea Hebrew Congregation (1874-1876), Grimsby Hebrew Congregation (1876-1877), Nottingham Hebrew Congregation (1878-1880) and Leeds (1881). In 1884 he was resident for a time at West Hartlepool and was also described as "temporary minister" at the Middlesbrough Hebrew Congregation. From 1885 until 1897 Rev. Slevansky was shochet and reader at Brighton Hebrew Congregation, Sussex. From 1897 Rev. Slevansky was amongst the first stipendiary ministers to take up residence at the Judith Montefiore Yeshiva, Ramsgate, Kent (for retired ministers), where he died in 1909. (JC death notice 8 October 1909 and various JC reports.)

Rabbi Yitzak Sliw

Rabbi Sliw, a religious studies teacher, has taught at King David High School in Liverpool and as subject leader in Religious Studies at Hasmonean High School in Hendon, London. He served as the first minister of the newly-established Radlett Synagogue, Hertfordshire (1995-1997). (JYB listing; and congregation's website.)

Rev. E. Slotki

Rev. Slotki was the longest serving minister of the Barrow-in-Furness Hebrew Congregation (then in Lancashire) (c.1928-December 1945). At a farewell reception he was thanked for his 17 years service. During his term, Rev. Slotki assisted the small Jewish community in Whitehaven, some forty-five miles to the north of Barrow, and served as visiting minister of the Blackburn Hebrew Congregation, Lancashire, (c.1939-1945). Following Barrow, Rev. Slotki moved to Sunderland and acted as second reader of the Sunderland Hebrew Congregation from about 1946 to 1948. (JYB listings; various JC reports.)

Rabbi Mordechai Smith

Manchester-born Rabbi Smith (m. Rose Levitta) entered Manchester Talmudical College at the age of 14 and studied at Slobodka yeshiva both in Lithuania and after it transferred to Hebron, British Mandate of Palestine. In 1936 he was inducted minister at the Wellington Road Synagogue, Stoke Newington (which later became the West Hackney Synagogue), North London (1936-1948). In 1938 he was appointed headmaster of the Great Garden Street Talmud Torah. He left for South Africa in 1948 where he served the Worcester Hebrew Congregation, Cape Province, and then the Rondebosch Hebrew Congregation, Cape Town. On his return to London, Rabbi Smith was minister of Clapton Federation Synagogue and then Sinai Synagogue, Golders Green. A shochet with well over 40 years experience he retired in 1984. (JC reports including profile of 23 July 1948.)

Rev. Lewis Smorgansky

Rev. Lewis Smorgansky (also spelled Smogansky, Smorgonsky or Smolenski) is belived to have served as minister of Wrexham Hebrew Congregation, North Wales from about 1899 until 1900 and as minister of Stroud Synagogue, Gloucestershire, in 1901, leaving to take up an appointment in Vilna. (JC reports and JYB listings.)

Rev. Abraham Snadow (formerly Rev. Abraham Snadowitch)
(c.1882 - 8 November 1970)

Rev. Snadowitch (m. Sophie Orlier) was born and educated in Russia, where he qualified as a shochet. He came to Britain in about 1903 and his initial appointment was as reader/minister and shochet to the Wrexham Hebrew Congregation, North Wales (c.1908-1909). Following this, he appears to have simplified his surname to Snadow, which preceded his appointment as reader, teacher and shochet to the Abertillery Hebrew Congregation, South Wales (1909-1910). He left Abertillery to be appointed chazan-shochet and assistant teacher to the Newport Hebrew Congregation, Monmouthshire (1910-1964), serving the Newport community for almost 55 years (and was appointed emeritus minister on his retirement in 1964). He also served contemporaneously as shochet and teacher at the neighbouring Newbridge Hebrew Congregation, Monmouthshire, from about 1926 until about 1928, after that congregation ceased having its own minister. He died in Manchester, his wife Sophie died four hours later on the same day. He was the father in law of Rabbi G. Wulwick of Heaton Park synagogue, Manchester. (JYB listings, JC reports and obituary 20 November 1970.)

Rev. H. Leonard Sober
(1923 - 2005)

Rev. Sober (m. Fay Marcus in Ilford in 1948) was born Hyman Soberski in London's East End and studied for three years at Yeshiva Etz Chaim before becoming an Infantryman in the Essex Regiment during World War II. He served as reader of Barking & Becontree Affiliated Synagogue, London (c.1962-c.1969) and of Ilford Federation Synagogue (1970-c.1979) and was later appointed as chazan and religious classes teacher at Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation (1979-1991), during which period he was a founder member of the Southend Branch of the Council of Christians and Jews. Tragically, his son, Alan, was killed in 1982 while on active service as an army volunteer in Israel. (JYB listings and information provided by Anne Marcus.)

Rev. Aaron Solomon

Rev. A. Solomon appears to have served the served the Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation, Breconshire (now in Gwent), south Wales, as reader before being appointed of second reader, assistant teacher and shochet of Leicester Hebrew Congregation in 1914, serving until 1916 and, assuming continuity of identity, could have been the Rev. Aaron Soloman (or Solomon) who served as minister at Preston Synagogue, Lancashire, from about 1916 until no later than 1920. (Portrait of a Community by A. Newman and P. Lidiker; JYB listings.)

Rabbi Meshullam Solomon
(1723 - 1794)

Rabbi Solomon (born Israel Meshullam Zalman Emden) was born in Altona near Hamburg, Germany. Having served as rabbi at Podhajce (now in western Ukraine), he was appointed rabbi of the Hambro' Synagogue, in the City of London in 1764.  In 1765, following the departure of Rabbi Aaron Hart, the Hambro' Synagogue backed by the New Synagogue, London, appointed Rabbi Solomon as Britain's Chief Rabbi. However his appointment was not approved by the third (and largest) Ashkenazi City synagogue, the Great Synagogue, which in turn shortly thereafter appointed Rabbi David Tevele Schiff as Chief Rabbi. Until 1780, when Rabbi Solomon left London for a post in Russia, Britain had two rival Chief Rabbis competing for authority. Rabbi Solomon died in Hamburg, Germany. (History of the Great Synagogue by Cecil Roth, 1950; British Chief Rabbis 1664-2006 by Derek Taylor, 2007; online research.)

Rabbi Norman Solomon
(b. 31 May 1933)

Cardiff-born Rabbi Solomon (m.1. Devora Strauss, 1955 d. 1998; m.2 Hilary Nissenbaum, 2000) studied at St. John's College, Cambridge University and Jews' College. His first rabbinical post was as minister of the newly established Whitefield Hebrew Congregation, Manchester (c.1961-1966) and he subsequently accepted as call to become minister of Greenbank Drive Synagogue (Liverpool New Hebrew Congregation) (1966-1974). He then moved to London and served as minister of Hampstead Synagogue (1974-c.1983). He was subsequent very involved in various inter-faith projects, including the setting up in 1983 of a Centre for the Study of Judaism and Jewish-Christian Relations at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham. His only subsequent return to the pulpit was in 1994, when he acted as rabbi to the Birmingham Central Synagogue for a few months while they were selecting a new rabbi. (Online biography and JYB listings)

Rev. Samuel Isaac Solomons
(1903 - 1970)

Rev Solomons (m. Ethel) served the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, Singers Hill, from about 1927, first as reader then from about 1939 as senior assistant minister, until he stepped down in 1949. From 1953 until his retirement in August 1969, Rev. Solomons was minister of Bournemouth New (Reform) Synagogue. Rev Solomons died in Hove, Sussex. A memorial garden in Bournemouth was named in his honour. (JC obituary 24 April 1970, JYB listings.)

Rabbi Zvi Solomons

Rabbi Solomons (m. Shira), who holds a MPhil from University of Reading and an MA in Roman, Saxon and Medieval Archaeology from Selwyn College, Cambridge, received semicha at Jews' College, London in about 2001. He and Rebbetzen Shira served as rabbinic couple at Potters Bar and District Affiliated Synagogue, Hertfordshire (c.2000-c.2005), Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation, Princes Road, Liverpool (c.2005-2008) and Reading Hebrew Congregation, Berkshire, from 2008 until made redundant in 2015. Following which, Rabbi and Rebbetzen Solomons founded the Jewish Community of Berkshire, a separate congregation based in Reading of which they serve as the rabbinic couple (2015 to present - May 2022). (JYB listings and news reports.)

Rabbi Philip Somen
(c.1929 - 1967)

Rabbi Somen grew up a member of the Waltham Forest community, in east London, entered Jews' College in 1956 and gained a BA degree in 1958 and the minister's diploma two years later. He served at Queen's Road Synagogue, Walthamstow, London, for two years and was then assistant minister of Brixton Synagogue, south London (1961-1964). He was minister to St Albans Affiliated Synagogue, Hertfordshire (1964-1967). Rabbi Somen was minister of the Commercial Road Great Synagogue in the East End when he died aged 39 having obtained semicha only four months earlier. (JC obituary 18 October 1968 and various reports.)

Rev. Nathan Speakmaster

Rev. Speakmaster served as teacher and possibly reader at the Stroud Synagogue, Gloucestershire (c.1900-c.1902) and as reader/minister of Stockport Hebrew Congregation, then in Cheshire, from at least 1903 until, possibly, 1908, although in 1905 he reportedly assisted as ba'al tokeah in Nottingham Hebrew Congregation. (JYB listings and various JC reports.)

Dayan L. (Eliezer) Spector
(c.1912 - 1981)

Rabbi Spector studied at Etz Chaim, London, and at Navardok Yeshiva in Poland. He was a teacher in London at the New Synagogue, Stamford Hill, Hebrew classes and at Jews' College. He was then appointed minister and chazan at the Walford Road Synagogue, Stoke Newington, London (c.1950-c.1976). In February 1967 he was appointed education officer of the London Talmud Torah Council, a recently established education authority of the Federation of Synagogues, London. He served in this post until his retirement in 1980. Rabbi Spector was founder and president of the Chabad Orphan Aid Society, for which he was a charismatic and effective fundraiser, and the Hall of Residence at the Kfar Chabad Vocational Schools in Israel was named in his honour. (JC obituary 6 February 1981, news item 17 February 1967, JYB listings and internet research.)

Rev. Dov Speier

Swedish born Rev. Speier (m. Edit) first came to England in 1973 to study at Jews' College, London, before taking a post at the West End Great Synagogue in Dean Street, Soho, London. He served as reader of the Yeshurun Synagogue, Edgware, London, (c.1976) and Mill Hill Synagogue, London (c.1978-c.1980). Having lived in Israel and served for a time the Jewish community in Malmo, Sweden, he was chazan at the Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation, Essex, (1989-1990). He was part-time chazan of Cockfosters and N Southgate Synagogue, north London, (1990-c 2002). In 2011 Rev. Speier was based in Stockholm. He is a freelance Chazan and music teacher in London. (JYB listings; JC profile 15 September 1989.)

Rev. Emanuel Spero
(25 August 1854 - 25 September 1927)

Rev. Spero was born at Svendborg, Denmark, where his father, Rev. Woolf Marcus Spero, was minister. He was the grandson of Rabbi Moshe Katznellenbogen, dayan at Frankfurt. Rev. Spero was brought to Britain as an infant when his father was appointed minister at Swansea, south Wales. Educated at Liverpool Jews' School and in music at Guildhall school and the London Academy of Music. His early career was as a concert singer in Birmingham and he pursued a business career in Berlin, where he married Dora Schievitz. In 1880 he became chazan at Hambro' Synagogue, London, moving in 1883 to the Central Synagogue, London, where he served until retirement in 1924. He was vice president to the Anglo Jewish minister's conference and worked to safeguard and improve the status of chazanim in the British Jewish community. He was popularly known as the "silver voiced chazan". (JC obituary 30 September 1927)

Rev. Woolf Marcus Spero
(c.1824 - 21 October 1881)

Polish born Rev. Spero served as a minister in Svendborg, Denmark. In about 1862, he served as a minister at the Wolverhampton Hebrew Congregation. He may also have officiated in Swansea and Oxford. He died in London and is buried at West Ham Jewish cemetery. He was the father of Rev. Emanuel Spero. (JC report; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 906.)

Rev. Abraham Nathan Spier (or Spiers)
(c. 1852 - 2 July 1910)

Born in Suwalki, Poland, Rev. Spier (m. Bessie) served as reader and shochet of the Brighton Hebrew Congregation, Sussex (1880-1885). He was then appointed to the Plymouth Hebrew Congregation, serving as reader/minister from 1886 until 1893, remaining in Plymouth until 1896. He was subsequently appointed "chazan, shochet, etc" at the Sheffield Hebrew Congregation, New Church Street. In 1900, "late of Sheffield", Rev. Spier conducted Rosh Hashana services at The Hawthorns boarding house, Harrogate. By 1901, he had moved to Manchester and later was assisting with services at the Central and Higher Broughton congregations, Manchester and was employed by the Manchester Board of Shechita. Rev. Spier died in Manchester, is buried at Manchester's Blackley cemetery and his library was presented to the Manchester Central Synagogue. His widow was living at Hightown, Manchester, in 1910. (Photographs and press reorts relating to Rev. Spier in JCR-UK's Exeter Synagogue Archives; various JC reports.)

Rev. Gershon Spilg
(b. c.1840)

Russian-born Rev. Spilg (m. Sarah) came to Britain in about 1885 and was living in the Gorbals, Glasgow, at the turn of the century. He officiated at the high holy day services at Greenock Hebrew Congregation, Scotland, in 1894 and served as the first minister of Falkirk Hebrew Congregation, Scotland, possibly from as early as 1904. By 1911, he had returned to Glasgow. (Caledonian Jews by Nathan Abrams, 2009.)

Rabbi Samuel de Beck Spitzer

Born in north London to French and Indian parents, Rabbi Spitzer studied music at the London and Royal Northern colleges of music before and after achieving his rabbinical qualification in Israel in 2001. A soloist with the New Israeli Opera, he has performed principal roles in five different languages under the baton of conductors including Zubin Mehta, and Daniel Oren. Rabbi Spitzer served as minister in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2015, before his appointment at Hove Hebrew Congregation, Holland Road synagogue, in 2017, where he served as minister until the closure of the synagogue in September 2023. In 2023 he was commissioned as Jewish chaplain to the Royal Air Force, with the rank of Flight Lientenant. He also worked at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, Jerusalem as a trained medical clown. (Profile Sussex Jewish Representative Council website and JC reports, 28 April 2017 and 29 September 2023; Hove congregation website.)

Rev. Tobias Spivak
(b. c.1867)

Russian-born Rev. Spivak served as reader and shochet at the Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation, Breconshire (now in Gwent), south Wales, from at least 1891 until 1892, and at the Cardiff Hebrew Congregation, Cathedral Road, Cardiff from 1892. (Harold Pollins's "The Jewish Community of Brynmawr, Wales", 2008; Census results; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 908.)

Rev. Myer Stadthagen
(1804 - 21 April 1862)

Rev. Stadthagen (m. Arabella Joseph of Falmouth) was born in Bischofswerder, Prussia (about 25 miles north of Berlin), and came to Britain in 1827, settling in the West Country. He is believed to have served as minister at Penzance Synagogue, Cornwall, from 1827 until 1829. In 1829, he was appointed shochet to the Plymouth Hebrew Congregation, Devon, and later reader, undertaking many of the duties of a minister. These duties included, in particular, visiting the sick and Jewish inmates of Dartmoor Prison, as well as Jewish prisoners of war from the conflict in Crimea who were held in military prisons in Plymouth. Initially, as his command of English was weak, sermons were given by members of the congregation. He was also assisted until 1831 by the second reader (chazan sheni), Rev. H. Harris. Rev. Stadthagen was also a mohel. In 1856 he tendered his resignation following a dispute in the community, although he did not actually resign and continued to serve until his death in 1862. He and his wfe are buried in the Plymouth Hoe Old Burial Ground.  (Rabbi B. Susser's thesis, "The Jews of South-West England", Chapter 6; Helen Fry's "The Jews of Plymouth", pp.44/45; JC reports; and Jolles's Encyclopaedia, p. 908.)

Rev. I. Stanley
(d. 1983)

Rev. Stanley was appointed assistant minister of Notting Hill Synagogue, west London, in 1938 during the illness of Rabbi Dr Newman. In 1944 he was at Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue in east London. He later apppears to have assisted a chaplain to the Friern Hospital, north London, some time after 1953. (JC reports; article by Harry Balkin on the Friern Hospital Synagogue.)

Rabbi Jeremy Stanton

Rabbi Stanton was born in Palmers Green, north London, and educated at the Hasmonean school, north west London, and Gateshead Yeshiva where he received semicha. He held a number of teaching posts in the London area before becoming minister at the Cardiff United Synagogue in 1988. The following year he moved to Manchester to teach at Manchester Jewish Grammar school. He has pursued a career in Jewish education. (Various JC reports; JYB listings; and online research.)

Rev. Boruchas Mausas Starr
(2 July 1893 - 18 January 1956)

Born in Lithuania and a student at the Kovno and Vilna yeshivot, Rev. Starr (m. Reva - d. 1993) came to Britain in 1926. By 1931 he was minister of the Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation, Breconshire (now in Gwent), south Wales, and appears to have served there until about 1946. He was then appointed as minister and reader at the Swansea Beit Hamedrash from about 1946 until about 1948, and also assisted the Swansea Hebrew Congregation in 1947/8 as shochet and teacher. He became minister and shochet for the Stoke-on-Trent Hebrew Congregation, Staffordshire, from 1948 until his death in 1956. He is buried at North Staffordshire Jewish cemetery, Newcastle-under-Lyme. (JC obituary 3 February 1956; 1980 souvenir brochure of the Swansea congregation, p.63; and JYB listings.)

Rev. Hosea (Joshua) Steinberg
(13 April 1891 - 31 December 1939)

Born in Kuldia (probably Kuldiga), Latvia, Rev. Steinberg (m. Freda Selutina) was second reader and shochet to the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (c.1931-c.1939) and also is believed to have previously served the congregation as second reader (c.1927-c.1930). He died in Belfast. (Stuart Rosenblatt The A-Z DNA of Belfast and Northern Irish Jewry, 12/2011 edition; and JYB listings.)

Rev. B. Steinhaus

Rev. Steinhaus served as reader and secretary of Chesham Hebrew Congregation, Buckinghamshire, during the mid 1940s. Believed to be Rabbi Bernard (Dov) Steinhaus who in the 1950s was rabbi in Copenhagen, and later a teacher at the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, who was a British citizen. (JYB listings; and JC reports.)

Rabbi Reuven Stepsky

London-born Rabbi Stepsky (m. Elisheva) served as an assistant rabbi of the New West End Synagogue, London (early 1990s), Assistant Director of the Jewish Learning Exchange (1993-2016); and rabbi of Nefesh Hatorah congregation, Edgware, London (2018-2019). Subsequent he and Rebbetzen Elisheva Stepsky have served as  rge rabbinic couple at Kehillas Netzach Yisroel (KNY), Edgware (May 2019 until present - May 2021). (Uniquely Edgware website, KNY website and LinkedIn Account.)

Rabbi A.S. Stern
(d. c.2009)

Rabbi A.S. Stern was the rab and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Chessed, Great Offley, near Hitchin, Hertfrdshire, from at least 1990 until shortly following the yeshiva's relocation to Stamford Hill, London, due to his ill health, in about 2009. He was the brother of Rabbi Y.M. Stern. (JYB listings.)

Rev. Joseph Frederick Stern
(1865 - 1934)

Bedford-born Rev. Stern was the son of Rev. Frederick Stern. He was educated at Nathan Adler’s school in Finsbury Square and at Aria College, Portsea, Portsmouth. In June 1887, he was appointed minister of the East London Synagogue, serving until 1927, when he was appointed emeritus minister. He was also secretary of the synagogue from 1887 until about 1920.  (JC profile and listings.)

Rev. Leopald Stern

Rev. L. Stern served as shochet, and probably second reader, at the Plymouth Hebrew Congregation, Devon, from the 1850s until the mid 1860s. He was in Plymouth during or after the Crimean War (1853-6) and assisted in looking after Russian Jewish prisoners of war. (Helen Fry's "The Jews of Plymouth", pp.45/6.)

Rev. M. (or S.) Stoll

Rev. M. Stoll (or possibly S. Stoll) was reader of Shaw Street Synagogue, Liverpool (c.1920-c.1924). May be the same Rev. S. Stoll who was reader at Greenfield Street Synagogue, Commercial Road, London E1 in 1930. (JYB listings; and JC reports.)

Rev. Wolff Stolloff
(1869 - 1953)

Rev. Stolloff (also spelled Stoloff) (m Ada Wolk at St Petersburg Place, London in 1897) served as shochet to the Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation (1895-c.1896) and as the minister and headmaster at Stroud Synagogue, Gloucestershire (1896-c.1898). He served as minister of the Southampton Hebrew Congregation (c.1898-c.1899). In 1899 he was appointed temporary reader of Hampstead Synagogue, London, becoming its permanent chazan in 1902 snd ultimately its longest serving chazan until his retirement in 1931. He was also the congregation's secretary (1902-1910). ("An Introduction to Rev. Wolf Stoloff (1869-1953), Hampstead Synagogue's longest-serving chazan" by Michael Jolles, published on November 2020; "The Hampstead Synagogue 1892-1967" by Raymond Apple; JC report of 8 September 1899 and various other reports; JYB listings.)

Rev. Isaac Stone
(b. 1828)

Polish born Rev. I. Stone (m. Anna Mordecai, 1847) was appointed as a teacher at the Plymouth Hebrew Congregation, Devon, in 1846. In 1847, following his marriage, he left for Australia on health grounds. (Helen Fry's "The Jews of Plymouth", p.45.)

Rev. Aron Stoutzker
(c.1885 - 27 July 1968)

Rev. Stoutzker (m. Dora Cohen) was born in Brok, a small resort town on the river Bug, Poland. He served as cantor of the Regensburg community in eastern Bavaria, and later of the Rue de Montevideo Synagogue, Paris, before being appointed chief cantor of the Great Synagogue, Amsterdam (1913-1925). He came to London in about 1925 to become first reader of the Central Synagogue, Great Portland Street, London and served there for 25 years, until his retirement in 1950. He died in London and eight ministers and readers, an organ and a choir participated in a memorial service at Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue. (JC obituary, 2 August 1968 and JYB listings.)

Rev. P. Stroud

Rev. P. Stroud was the minister at the Northampton Hebrew Congregation in 1905, and in 1908 he conducted the High Holy days at the Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation, Essex. In 1909 he was appointed reader of the North West London Synagogue, Kentish Town. In 1911, he officiated at Vine Court Synagogue, Whitechapel, east London, and in the summer of 1914, Rev. Stroud was a temporary stand-in minister at the Central Synagogue, London. (Various JC reports, A Short History of the Jews of Northampton by Michael Jolles, Appendix 3 List of Ministers at Northampton.)

Rabbi Daniel Sturgess

Rabbi Sturgess (m. Alli) was born and raised in Essex, and studied at the University of Exeter. He worked briefly as an actuary and as a financial analyst before studying in the Aish HaTorah and Mir yeshivot in Israel, receiving semicha in 2010. Between 2010 and 2014, he was the Rabbi and Director for Aish in Birmingham. Rebbetzin Alli Sturges, also Essex raised, holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Wales, Swansea, and has studied and taught in various seminaries in Israel. She is a trained life coach, has worked as a housing officer in Cardiff and East London and is currently a qualified and practising CBT therapist. In August 2014, Rabbi and Rebbetzen Sturgess were appointed the (part-time) rabbinic couple at St Albans United Synagogue (serving until present, September 2023), working also with the SEED educational programme. This was the first appointment of a rabbi or minister for the congregration in some fifty years. In April 2018, Rabbi Sturgess was also appointed the Events System and Publications Coordinator of the United Synagogue. (Synagogue website.)

Rabbi Leivi Sudak

Rabbi Sudak (m. Feige) was educated at the Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, Lod, Israel, the Rabbinical College of America, Morristown, New Jersey and Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch and Kollel Lubavitch, both in Brooklyn, New York. He is the rabbi and director of Lubavitch of Edgware, London (1986 until present - May 2021). (Lubavitch of Edgware website.)

Rev. Eli Sufrin

Rev. Sufrin (m. Nechama) was part-time chazan at Brighton and Hove Synagogue and also on occasions acted as temporary minister to the Hove Hebrew Congregation, Holland Road synagogue. He then served at Ilford Synagogue (1996-2000) and youth director at Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue until 2001 He later served as chazan of Finchley Synagogue, London (2003 to present - May 2023). (Online reports; portrait in the National Portrait Gallery.)

Rabbi Isaac (Yitzchok) H. Sufrin

Manchester-born Rabbi Suffrin (m. Zipporah) was responsible for administration at Lubavitch HQ in London and was youth officer at Cockfosters and N Southgate Synagogue, north London, for 14 years until 1994. He then served as minister of Highgate Synagogue, London (1994-2008) and Enfield and Winchmore Hill Synagogue, London (2008 to present - May 2021). He is the brother of Rabbi Aron Dov Sufrin. (JYB listings and press report.)

Benjamin (Benny) Solomon Sugarwhite
(c.1895 - 18 October 1975)

London-born Benny Sugarwhite (m. Sarah - died 1936; then Rosie - died 1953) was shammas and collector for the New Beth Hamedrash, Corporation Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. From approximately 1924 he served in the same capacity for the United Hebrew Congregation at its Ravensworth synagogue. He was also for many years a supervisor for the Newcastle Board of Shechita, taught at the synagogue's cheder and was active in the Chevra Kadisha burial society. In 1960 The JC reported a kiddush at Ravensworth synagogue to mark his retirement. (Online research and JC reports of 28 November 1941 and 19 August 1960.)

Rev. Colman Sumberg

Rev. Colman (or K.) Sumberg, the brother of Rev. Samuel Sumberg, served briefly as reader for the Chester Hebrew Congregation, Cheshire, in 1894, officiating gratuitously over the high holy day holidays following the formation of the congregation.* He was a long-time lay leader of Hanley Synagogue, Staffordshire. (JC reports.)
*He was described as Rev. K. Sumberg in the 1894 JC report.

Rev. Samuel L. Sumberg

Rev. Sumberg was minister of Hanley Synagogue (later known as Stoke-on-Trent Hebrew Congregation), Staffordshire, from 1887. He was elected minister at Leicester in 1889 but was unable to take up the post due to the illness of his wife, and he was re-elected at Hanley. In 1897 he served at the newly formed secessionist congregation, the Hanley New Synagogue and Beth Hamedrash at Glass Street, Hanley. Later in the year, following a visit by the Chief Rabbi, the two congregations were reconciled. A later break away occurred when the Glass Street premises hosted the Zionist Dorshei Zion association and again held separate services, at which Rev. Sumberg was honorary minister. In about 1902 he had become president of the re-united Hanley congregation until about 1906. He was the brother of Rev. Colman Sumberg. (Various JC reports.)

Rabbi Lee Sunderland
(c.1963 - 27 May 2024)

Glasgow-born Rabbi Sunderland (m. Lynette Chazen, 2007) served as the minister of Southport Hebrew Congregation (1987-1988) and the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (1993-1994). He later served as religious superintendent at Rainham Cemetery and as minister of the Romford and District Affiliated Synagogue, London (c.2001-2024), having obtained semicha in 2013 through the Montefiore Programme in London. He died in office at the age of 61. (Belfast Jewish Records; Romford Recorder and JYB listings.)