the former

Montague Road Beth Hamedrash

Dalston, London E8

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

The former Montague Road Beth Hamedrash, now boutique apartments.
© David Newman 2017

Congregation Data

Name:

Montague Road Beth Hamedrash

Address:

62A Montague Road, Dalston, London E8.

The building had been badly damaged in the London Blitz during World War II, although it never closed, and was rededicated in September 1949.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Date Founded:

1910⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ (although the Jewish Year Book 1945/6 stated that it had been founded in 1902.)

Status:

Closed 1981,^(iv) merged into West Hackney Synagogue. The former synagogue building was converted in 2001 into a residential block containing eleven up-market boutique flats.^(v) The frontage still retains Hebrew inscriptions (see below).

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

A member or affiliated synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues, since formation.^(vi)

Ministers:

(To view a short profile of a minister or reader whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rabbi Jacob Rabinowitz - from 1918 until 1932^(x)

Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler - from about 1935 until at least 1938 possibly until 1941^(xi)

Rabbi Abraham Weinstein - from at least 1944 until about 1951^(xii)

Rabbi Pesach Braceiner - from 1953 until about 1962^(xiii)

Readers:

Rev. M. Garlick - from at least 1929 until about 1933^(xvi)

Rev. Avram Gotloib - from about 1935 until 1958^(xvii)

Rev. David Josovic - from about 1960 until 1978^(xviii)

Lay Officers:

Except where otherwise stated, the data below has been extracted from Jewish Year Books. Generally, where a first name is given, this has been obtained from other sources.^(xxiii)

Presidents

1911-1913 - S. Masie

1913-1914 - Mr. Gewurtz

1914-1925 - R. Clenowich

1925-1932 - L. Preiskel

1932-1934 - G. Galinsky

1934-1935 - B. Gewurtz

1935-1938 - I. Hartstein

1938-1945 - no data

1945-1947 - S. Schrieber

1947-1949 - Dr. J. Zeitlin

1949-1950 - S. Greenspan

1950-1956 - Dr. J. Zeitlin

Wardens

1927-1938 - S. Blank

1927-1938 - M. Zuckrow

1938-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - H. Fitterman

1945-1946 - C. Gorman

1953-1954 - M. Wiseman

1953-1956 - M. Cohen

1954-1956 - S. Miller

Vice Presidents

1935-1938 - S. Yudkin

1938-1947 - no data

1947-1948 - C. Goldman

1948-1950 - H. Cohen

1953-1956 - J. Lotsky

Treasurers

1927-1928 - J. Mathias

1928-1929 - S. Davies

1929-1933 - J. Mathias

1933-1934 - I. Hartstein

1934-1938 - I. Schrieber

1938-1946 - no data

1946-1956 - L. Littenberg

Hon. Secretaries

1927-1928 - L. Clenowich

1928-1935 - H. Ellman

1935-1936 - A. S. Hovsha

1936-1938 - M. C. Wolfson

1938-1945 - no data

1945-1958 - Rev. Avram Gotloib

1960-1965 - S. Kushner

1965-1981 - I. Bloom

Membership Data:

Number of seatholders^(xxiv)

1911

1913

1914

120

150

200

Local Government District:

The northeast London district of Dalston is in the London Borough of Hackney and was previously (until 1 April 1965) in the somewhat smaller former Metropolitan Borough of Hackney.^(xxv)

Registration District (BMD):

Hackney^(xxvi) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery Information:

For Federation of Synagogues cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Notes & Sources - These now appear towards the foot of this page, instead of the foot of this box. However, the note can also still be viewed in a pop-up box when the cursor is held over the note number.

Montague Road Beit Hamedrash inscription
The lettering that still appears clearly on the facade to the building,
which reads in Hebrew "Montague Road Beth Hamedrash"
© David Newman 2017

Bibliography, On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

Selected Press Reports relating to the congregation
Photographs provided by David Patchick
Selected Bibliography:
- Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland by Sharman Kadish (2015) p.34.
- Other Hackney bibliography and sources.

Notes and Sources:
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.

(ii) Jewish Chronicle report of 9 September 1949. ↵

(iii) Jewish Chronicle report of 28 August 1981 refers to the congregation as being founded in 1910. It is first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1912. ↵

(iv) Jewish Chronicle report of 28 August 1981 reported that the congregation "will cease to function before Rosh Hashana and its membership will merge with West Hackney Federation Synagogue". Its last listing was in the Jewish Year Book 1982. ↵

(v) Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland by Sharman Kadish (2015) p.34. ↵

(vi) The congregation was at all times listed in Jewish Year Books under the Federation of Synagogues. ↵

(vii) to (ix) Reserved.

(x) Jewish Chronicle obituary of December 1932. Until the 1920s, the Jewish Year Books generally did not list ministers of Federation synagogues and Rabbi Rabinowitz is only listed as rav in the editions from 1928 through 1933. ↵

(xi) Based upon Rabbi Dessler's listing as rav of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1936 through 1938. However, it is uncertain when he left and he may have continued to serve the congregation until 1941. ↵

(xii) Based upon various Jewish Chronicle reports and Rabbi Weinstein's listing as rav of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1945/6 through 1950 (with gaps). ↵

(xiii) Based upon Rabbi Braceiner's listing as rav of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1954 through 1962. There were no subsequent listings of ministers for the congregation. ↵

(xiv) and (xv) Reserved.

(xvi) Based upon Rev. Garlick's listings as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1928 through 1933. ↵

(xvii) Based primarily upon Rev. Gotloib's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1936 through 1959. ↵

(xviii) Based upon Rev. Josovic's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1961 through 1978. ↵

(xix) to (xxii) Reserved.

(xxiii) 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. Year books were generally published towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1938, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1934 and continued in office until 1938. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. The Jewish Year Books were not published during World War II and ceased providing details of lay officers (other than secretaries) after 1956. ↵

(xxiv) Membership numbers extracted from Jewish Year Books. ↵

(xxv) The London Borough of Hackney, an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hackney, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch. These metropolitan boroughs (each established in 1900) had been within the (then abolished) County of London (established in 1899). ↵

(xxvi) The former Registration Districts were Stoke Newington, until 1 July 1979, and, prior thereto, Hackney, from the founding of the Congregation until 1 October 1930. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

List of Congregations in the Federation of Synagogues

List of Synagogues destroyed by German air raids during World War II

Street Directory of Congregations in Stamford Hill, Hackney and Neighbourhood

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hackney

Jewish Congregations in Greater London (other than East End)

Greater London home page

Page created: 6 December 2006
Data significantly expanded: 30 December 2020
Latest revision or update: 31 December 2020

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