the former

St. Kevin's Parade Synagogue

Dublin, Ireland

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7 and 8 St. Kevin's Parade, Dublin, in September 2014.
© David Shulman 2014

Congregation Data

Name

St. Kevin's Parade Synagogue

Address:

7 St. Kevin's Parade, Dublin (initially at 8 St. Kevin's Parade)⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Date Formed:

Founded in 1883.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ On 10 December 1983, the centenary of the founding of the Synagogue was celebrated at the Machzikei Hadass Synagogue (the successor to St. Kevin's Parade Synagogue) with the Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Dr David Rosen, and the late Judge Wine in the attendance and over 100 people in the synagogue.^(iv)

The congregation was one of a number of hebrot (small congregations) in Dublin's South Circular Road area (around Clanbrassil Street and Portobello) established in the 1880's and 1890's, primarily by recent immigrants from Lithuania and Poland. These new arrivals were generally far more strictly observant than members of the existing somewhat assimilated Jewish community. The then existing synagogue, in Mary's Abbey, held only Saturday morning services and, being some two miles from where the newcomers lived, was a long walk on the Sabbath. Furthermore, it was also too small for the needs of the growing community and the largely Yiddish-speaking newcomers found its services too formal, stern, middle class and unwelcoming. As a result of this influx of "foreign" Jews, this area became home to the majority of Dublin's Jews and was known as "Little Jerusalem".

Closure:

The synagogue closed in 1968 and the congregation relocated to Terenure Road North, adopting the name Machzikei Hadass Synagogue.

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox^(v)

Ministers:

St Kevin's Parade was one of the congregation to which Rev. Alexander Rabinovitz (Robinson) ministered in the 1890s - early 1990s.^(ix)

It was also one of the six congregations which, in 1919, combined to appoint Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog as communal rabbi of the Dublin Jewish community,^(x) prior to him being appointed Chief Rabbi of Ireland in 1922. In addition, the congregation was served by the various Chief Rabbis of Ireland who, particularly from the 1950s, occupied by rotation the pulpits of the various orthodox congregations in Dublin, generally none of which had their own minister.

Reader:

Rev. M. Newman - reader from at least 1896 until about 1901^(xi)

Lay Officers from 1896:

Unless otherwise stated, the following data on lay officers has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, first published in 1896/97^(xii)

Presidents

1883-1904 - Reuven (Robert) Bradlaw^(xiii)

1904-1916 - Dr. George Selig Wigoder^(xiv)

1916-1918 - M. Rosenberg

1918-1925 - S. Epstein

1925-1931 - S. Cornick

1931-1938 - S. Eppell

1938-1948 - I. Cowan^(xv)

1948-1954 - M. Gafson

1954 to at least 1956 - E. Rubinstein

Treasurers

1896-1899 - M. Cohen

1899-1901 - M. Wigoder

1901-1931 - no data

1931-1938 - I. Cowan

1938-1940 - J. Mitofsky

1940-1954 - no data

1954 to at least 1956 - J. Mitofsky

Vice President

1899-1901 - S. Epstein

Hon. Secretaries

1896-1899 - L. Robinson

1899-1901 - S. Robinson

1901-1925 - no data

1925-1930 - H. Silverman

1931-1938 - S.P. Rubenstein

1938-1952 - J. Steinberg^(xvi)

1952-1968 - J.B. Gafson^(xvii)

Membership Data:

Number of Seatholders - Jewish Year Books^(xviii)

1896 - 80

1955 - 40

1962 - 20

Cemetery Data:

See Dublin Jewish Cemeteries Information on the Dublin home page.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.

(ii) 8 Kevin's Parade was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from the first edition (1896/7) until its last listing in 1899/1900, but from 1900/01 the street number stated was 7. ↵

(iii) Louis Hyman's The Jews of Ireland from Earliest Times to the Year 1910 (1962) ("Jews of Ireland"), p.165. The date given in the Jewish Year Book 1896/7 is 1880. ↵

(iv) Blog by Patrick Comerford of 17 October 2019. See foot of page. ↵

(v) The congregation was last listed at St Kevin's Parade in the Jewish Year Book 1968. ↵

(vi) to (viii) Reserved.

(ix) The Jews of Ireland, p. 199. To view a short profile of a Rev. Rabinovitz - hold the cursor over his name. ↵

(x) Jewish Chronicle report of 4 April 1919. The other congregations were:
the Dublin Hebrew Congregation, the United Hebrew Congregation, the Chevra Tehilim Congregation (Lombard Street Synagogue), Oakfield Place Synagogue and Lennox Street Synagogue. ↵

(xi) Based upon Rev. M. Newman's listing as reader of the congregation in the first Jewish Year Book (1896/7) through 1900/01. ↵

(xii) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. Initially year books corresponded to the Hebrew year, and thus ran roughly from autumn of one year - the year of publication - until autumn of the next year. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1919 through 1924, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1918 and continued in office until 1924. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. ↵

(xiii) Reuven (Robert) Bradlaw was the founder and first president of the congregation (from 1883). He was also instrumental in founding the Jewish Cemetery at Dolphin’s Barn, where he is buried (Patrick Comerford's blog of 3 October 2019 - see below). He is listed as president from publication of the first Jewish Year Book (1896/7) through to the 1903/4 edition and it is assumed he served in such office for the whole period from 1883. ↵

(xiv) Dr George Selig Wigoder, the son-in-law of Robert Bradshaw, was a prominent community worker and the author of scholarly Talmudic treatises. (Patrick Comerford's blog of 3 October 2019 - see below). He is listed (as Dr. Wigoder) as president of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1904/5 through 1916. He also served as president of the United Hebrew Congregation (Greenville Hall) (c.1916-c.1920 and c.1929-c.1934). ↵

(xv) I. Cowan was listed as president of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1939 and 1940 and from 1945/6 through 1952. As he was listed as serving both prior to and following the cessation of publication during World War II, it is assumed that he also served as president of the congregation throughout the war. ↵

(xvi) Believed to be Jack (Yankele) Steinberg (son of Aharon Steinberg), who later served as president of the Machzikei Hadass Synagogue. J. Steinberg was listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1939 and 1940 and from 1945/6 through 1948. As he was listed as serving both prior to and following the cessation of publication during World War II, it is assumed that he also served as hon. secretary of the congregation throughout the war. ↵

(xvi) J.B. Gafson continued as hon. secretary of the Machzikei Hadass Synagogue following the relocation of the congregation, until about 1973. ↵

(xviii) As listed in the Jewish Year Book for the relevant year. ↵

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Congregation

On Third Party websites

Blogs by Patrick Comerford, from his Synagogues of Dublin series (full list):
- 6. Saint Kevin’s Parade Synagogue, 3 October 2019.
- 18. Machzikei Hadass Synagogue, Rathmore Villas, Terenure, 17 October 2019.

Dublin Jewish Community home page

JCR-UK Ireland home page

Page created: 13 June 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 9 November 2022
Page most recently amended: 13 December 2022

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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