the former

Slough & Windsor Affiliated Synagogue

& Slough and Windsor Jewish Community

Berkshire

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

Slough, Windsor and Eton

Slough, a town about 20 miles west of London with a population of some 165,000, was a municipal borough in the county of Buckinghamshire until 1974, when it was transferred to the county of Berkshire, of which it became a local government district. In 1998, the Borough of Slough became a unitary authority, when Berkshire lost its administrative status becoming purely a ceremonial county.

The historic town of Windsor (also known as New Windsor), with a population of over 30,000, is situated on the south bank of river Thames, just to the south of Slough. Its historic twin town, Eton with its famous Eton College and population of about 5,000, is on the opposite bank of the river Thames to Windsor. Both towns form part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. This was formed in 1974, initially as a local government district of the county of Berkshire, on the merger of a number of local authorities including the Royal Borough of New Windsor, the municipal borough of Maidenhead and parts of the urban district of Eton (the latter having been part of Buckinghamshire). In 1998, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead became a unitary authority, when Berkshire lost its administrative status becoming purely a ceremonial county.

Jewish Community

Slough, Windsor and Eton are known to have had Jewish residents since the early nineteenth century (see The Jews of Slough during the Nineteenth Century). However, an organised Jewish community in Slough and Windsor dates from evacuees from London during the Second World War. Eton College has had a Jewish society for over one hundred years.

Congregation Data

Name:

Slough and Windsor Affiliated Synagogue
also known as Slough and Windsor Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Previously:

Slough, Windsor & District Hebrew Congregation⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Developed From:

Windsor & Slough Hebrew Congregation^(iv) in 1947/8

Windsor & Slough United Synagogue Membership Group^(v)
formed in about 1946 by the incorporation of:
Slough United Synagogue Membership Group^(vi) into
Windsor United Synagogue Membership Group^(vi)

Address:

22 The Grove, Slough

The synagogue, situated in a house called Lyndhurst, was consecrated on 7 September 1955 and continued in use until the 1970s.^(ix) In the mid-1970s temporary premises were used at 74 Ragstore Road, Windsor Road.^(x)

Formation:

The Congregation was formally established following a meeting late 1949 or 1950.^(xi)
It was a successor congregation to the Membership Groups referred to above, which had been formed by World War II evacuees from heavily populated areas of Central & Eastern London in about 1941. An evacuee centre sponsored by the Board of Deputies had opened in Windsor by May 1941^(xii) and regular Sabbath services were being held by in Slough by November 1941.^(xiii)

Current Status:

Closed about 1986 (incorporated into Staines and District Affiliated Synagogue)^(xiv)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox.

Affiliation:

An Affiliated Synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1950.^(xv) The earlier Membership Groups were also sponsored by the United Synagogues.

Ministers: (To view a short profile - hold the cursor over the rabbi's name.)

the Membership Groups

Rabbi Dr. Julius (Yoel) Jakobovits - from about 1941 until 1945^(xix)

Rabbi Lipa Naftali Baum - from 1945 until 1946^(xx)

the Congregation

Rev. Baruch Ben-Zion Greenberg - from 1955 until 1957^(xxi)

Rev. Mordechai (Martin) Miloslawer - from 1959 until 1963^(xxii)

Lay Officers of the Membership Groups:

Slough (1945/6)^(xxvi)

Wardens - Gaskell Jacobs & C. Alberge

Financial Representative - A. Ornstein

Hon. Secretary - A. Lawrence

Windsor & Windsor and Slough^(xxvii)

President & Chairman - L. Gould (1945-1948)

Wardens - M. Galinsky (1945-1948); H. Cohen (1945-1947); Mr. Adler (1947-1948)

Financial Representative - M.J. Needleman (1945-1948)

Hon. Secretary - J. Adelman (1945-1947); J. Wade (1947-1948)

Lay Officers of the Congregation:^(xxviii)

Wardens

1950-1956 - J. Wade

1950-1953 - M. Galinsky

1953-1955 - Dr. H. Brunner

1955-1956 - M. Galinsky

Financial Representatives

1950-1954 - H.L. Isaacs

1954-1956 - M. Goldstein

Hon. Secretaries

1950-1951 - Dr. H. Brunner & A.B. Singer

1951-1954 - N.A. Goldring

1954-1955 - S. Lewis

1955-1956 - P. Segal

1956-1957 - R. Clayden & E. Levenson

1957-1960 - M.J. Kemper

1960-1962 - H. Sefton

1962-1963 - O. Pordess

1963-1965 - P. Condon

1965-1977 - I. Osborne

1977-1984 - B. Solomons

1984-1985 - R. Frankl

1985-1986 - J. Awkin

Membership Data:

Male Seatholders^(xxix)

1950

1960

1970

58

60

35

Reports & Surveys ^(xxx)

1977 - 27 male (or household) members and 11 female members

1983 - 20 male (or household) members and 6 female members

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.

(ii) This was the name used on the Order of Service for the consecration of the Synagogue on 7 September 1955. ↵

(iii) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books 1951 through 1955. ↵

(iv) Listed under this name in Jewish Year Book 1948, presumably the name under which the Membership Group was known briefly prior to it being disbanded. The congregation was not listed in Jewish Year Books 1949 and 1950. ↵

(v) Listed in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵

(vi) Slough and Windsor were separately listed in Jewish Year Book 1945/6, the first to be published following World War II. ↵

(vii) and (viii) Reserved.

(ix) No earlier address was listed. The Grove address was listed in Jewish Year Books from 1955 through 1973. However The Jewish Chronicle of 19 September 1969 reported that "Slough synagogue had been disused for two years, since damaged in an arson attack. Hon officers of the synagogue accused the United Synagogue of seeking to sell the property without their knowledge or agreement. They called for the building to be restored and a resident minister appointed." ↵

(x) The Ragstore Road address was listed as a temporary address in Jewish Year Books from 1974 through 1976. No later address was listed. ↵

(xi) The Jewish Chronicle of 4 November 1949 or 1950 reported that "The formation of a synagogue for Windsor and Slough and district, with the object of eventually affiliating to the United Synagogue, was decided upon at a meeting of Jewish residents held recently in the Slough Public library. Among the speakers were Mr. L. Gould, who presided; Mr. H L Isaacs, who outlined the scheme to establish a congregation; the Rev. L. Rosenberg, of Staines; Dr. H. Brunner; and Messrs. M. Galinsky, A. Singer, A. Sacks, and N. Recce. All who are interested in the scheme are asked to communicate with Mr. H.L. Isaacs. 157, High Street Slough." ↵

(xii) The Jewish Chronicle of 30 May 1941 reported on the opening the previous week of an evacuee centre in Windsor, sponsored by the Board of Deputies. The centre, providing both feeding and social facilities, has accommodation for about 300...."This centre," said Dr. Feldman, "provides kasher meals, but like the centres which have been set up in other parts of the country, this is not a Jewish centre. It is a centre open to all." ↵

(xiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 21 November 1941 reported that "Regular Sabbath services are being arranged in Slough. Those who are interested should communicate with the Hon. Secretary, Mr. H. Greenberg, c/o "Castle View", Salt Hill, Slough." ↵

(xiv) The last listing was in the Jewish Year Book 1986. The Jewish Chronicle of 27 June 1986 was the first reference to the congregation's incorporation into Staines Synagogue. ↵

(xv) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pp.220 and 222. ↵

(xvi) to (xviii) Reserved.

(xix) Jewish Chronicle obituary of 14 February 1947. He is listed as minister of the Membership Group in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 (the first to be published following cessation of publication during the war). ↵

(xx) Jewish Chronicle reports. He is not listed as minister in the Jewish Year Book. ↵

(xxi) Rev. Greenberg was inducted as minister on 7 September 1955 - Order of Service. He is listed as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Books 1956 and 1957. ↵

(xxii) Rev. Miloslawer (Milsolawer) is listed as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Books 1960 through 1963. ↵

(xxiii) to (xxv) Reserved.

(xxvi) Listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵

(xxvii) Listed in Jewish Year Books 1945/6, 1947 and 1948. Although the term of office presumably commenced earlier than 1945, it is given here as 1945 or the year prior to the title year of the year book in which such officer is first listed and continues until the title year of the year book in which such officer is last listed. ↵

(xxviii) Extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books from the first listing in 1951. It has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year prior to the title year of the year book in which such officer is first listed and continues until the title year of the year book in which such officer is last listed. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, the actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵

(xxix) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pp.218/219. ↵

(xxx) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by or on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵

Search the All-UK Database

The records in the database associated Slough, Windsor and nearby Eton include:

1851 Anglo Jewry Database (updated 2016)
- Individuals in the 1851 Anglo Jewry Database who were living in:
  Slough during the 1830s (1 record), 1860s (1 record), 1870s (5 records), 1880s (2 records), 1890s (1 record) and 1900s (1 record);
  Windsor during the 1820s (1 record), 1830s (6 records), 1840s (4 records), 1850s (5 records), 1860s (6 records), 1880s (1 record), 1890s (1 record) and 1900s (2 records); and
  Eton during the 1790s (1 record), 1800s (3 records), 1830s (7 records), 1840s (8 records), 1850s (10 records) and 1860s (3 records).

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Slough & Windsor Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Jews of Slough in the Nineteenth Century.

Notable Jewish Connections with Slough, Windsor and Eton

(courtesy Steven Jaffe)

Benn Wolfe Levy (1900-1973) was Labour MP for Eton and Slough (1945-1950) and a successful playwright.
Sir Anthony Meyer (1920-2004) Conservative MP for Eton and Slough (1964-1966) (and Old Etonian) was of paternal Jewish descent.
Old Etonians who are Jewish or of Jewish descent include members of the Rothschild and Goldsmith families; David Benedictus (b. 1938), dramatiser of the A.A. Milne books; Anthony Bernard Blond (1928-2008), author and publisher; Oliver Letwin (b. 1956), former government minister and a Conservative and independent MP (1997 to 2019), who was born to American Jewish parents; Lord Sainsbury (1902-1998), from a Dutch Jewish family; and David Shukman (b. 1958), science editor of BBC News.

Other Jewish Institutions & Organisations in Slough and Windsor

Educational & Theological

Hebrew and Religious Classes - established by 1941
The Jewish Chronicle of 7 January 1944 reported 60 pupils were attending the Windsor Hebrew classes and 30 at Slough.

Other Institutions

Ladies Guild - founded by 1945 and again in 1950
Social Club - founded in 1954

Community Records
Slough:	Slough (since 1 April 1974). Previous Registration District: Eton - from 1 July 1937 to 1 Jull 1974. Any registers would now be held by current register office. Link to Register Office website
Windsor:	Windsor & Maidenhead (since 1 July 1974) Previous Registration District: Windsor - from 1 July 1937 to 1 Jull 1974 Any registers would now be held by current register office. Link to Register Office website

Jewish Cemetery Information

Neither Slough nor Windsor has a Jewish cemetery. However, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue.

Slough & Windsor Jewish Population
1964	50 families	(The Jewish Chronicle, 16 October 1964)
1965	130	(The Jewish Year Book 1966)

List of United Synagogue Congregations (and Membership Groups)

World War II Evacuee Communities

Jewish Congregations in Berkshire

Jewish Communities in Greater London and its Outskirts

Jewish Communities of England home page

Page created: 19 April 2006
Data significantly expanded: 29 June 2017
Data further expanded and notes first added: 7 July 2022
Page most recently amended: 10 September 2023

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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