The New Synagogue

Press Reports relating to the New Synagogue, London

 

The London Chronicle, 6 August 1786

The above text reads as follows: “A Thanksgiving Sermon for his Majesty's preservation, from the late attempt on his life, was delivered on Sunday last at the Synagogue lately erected by Mr. Jacob Fileman, near Goulston Square, in the parish of St. Mary Whitechapel. A large congregation attended, and after the discourse, expressed much satisfaction on the occasion. The text was Isaiah ch. 54. ver. 17. Seventeen psalms were also selected for the occasion. The Jewish people are great observers of the maxim of seventy elders, which says, pray for the peace of the kingdom, for were it not for the respect which must be shown to government, mankind would destroy one another alive. They have always been noted for their loyalty to their sovereigns”
[Note: Based upon research by Brian Fileman, a 4th great grandson of the Jacob Fileman mentioned in the article, the synagogue "lately erected" was in fact the New Synagogue of Leadenhall Street (the journalist, probably knowing little about the congregation, presumably thought that "lately erected" sounded better than "new", not realising that this was the actual name of the synagogue) and that reference to Goulston Square was probably to the residence of Jacob Fileman, who delivered the sermon. Accordingly, a corrected version of the first sentence of the above report would read as follows: "A Thanksgiving Sermon for his Majesty's preservation, from the late attempt on his life, was delivered on Sunday last at the New Synagogue by Mr. Jacob Fileman, of Goulston Square in the parish of St. Mary Whitechapel."]