New London Synagogue

Congregation Data

New London Synagogue

33 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, London NW8 0AT.

The synagogue building, built 1880-82 and designed by architect Hyman Henry Collins, FRIBA, was the original home of St. John's Wood (United) Synagogue until 1964. It was sold for demolition, rescued and acquired by the congregation.⁽ⁱ⁾

The synagogue is a Grade II Listed Building (number 1247665), designated on 7 September 1989. View description on Historic England website.

Active

Established by Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs in 1964 "to found an Orthodox synagogue in Anglo-Jewish tradition of tolerance with freedom for study and inquiry in harmony with modern scholarship". Initially established as an independent Orthodox congregation, with a traditional orthodox service. Later the congregation gradually adopted a Conservative (or Masorti) ritual and, in recent years (from mid-2010s), women have taken a more active part in the service. At a special meeting held in November 2019, it was decided that within a year or two the congregation would move to all egalitarian services.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

A constituent synagogue of Masorti Judaism (known as the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues until 2012), and was the "parent synagogue" of the movement, which was founded in 1985.

https://www.newlondon.org.uk/

Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs - from 1964 until 2000 (and again briefly in 2005)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Rabbi Chaim Weiner - from 2000 until 2005^(iv)

Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer^(v) (Interim Rabbi) - from October 2005 until July 2007

Rabbi Jeremy Gordon - from January 2008 to present (May 2024)^(vi)

Rabbi Natasha Mann - from 2019 to present (May 2024)^(vii)

Cantor George Rothschild^(xii) - from May 1964 until about 1969 and from about 1971 until December 1999

Rev. Stanley Ivan Brickman^(xiii) - from about 1969 until about 1971

Cantor Stephen Cotsen ^(xiv) - from December 1999 until October 2012 and from 2018 to present (June 2020)

Cantor Jason Green^(xv) - from 2013 until February 2018

Congregation's Website:

1993 - 1,100 members^(xviii)

National Reports or Surveys:^(xix)

1977 - 514 male (or household) members and 136 female members

1983 - 508 male (or household) members and 142 female members

1990 - 714 members (comprising 410 households, 115 individual male and 189 individual female members)

1996 - 604 members (comprising 358 households, 80 individual male and 166 individual female members)

2010 & 2016 - listed as having 500 to 749 members (by household)

Annual Reports of Masorti Judaism^(xx) - number of members as of 1 January:

2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
641	610	637	686	686	776	758	776	752	727	676

On 25 September 2009, the congregation was incorporated as a registered company, The New London Synagogue (company no. 7030491), a private company limited by guarantee without a share capital (and with an exemption from use of the word 'Limited').^(xxi)

The congregation is also a registered charity (no. 1133578).^(xxii)

The governing documents are the company's Memorandum & Articles Association dated 25 September 2009, as amended 24 June 2013.

St John's Wood is an affluent area of northwest London lying to the northwest of Regent's Park. It is in the City of Westminster and was (until 1965) in the former Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone.^(xxiii)

The Congregation is a member of the Western Burial Society and its burial ground is at the Western Cemetery, Cheshunt. See Cemeteries of Masorti Judaism

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland by S. Kadish (2015), pp. 53 & 56 and Carol Herselle Krinsky - Synagogues of Europe - Architecture, History, Meaning, 1996, Appendix I, p. 430. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by H.H. Collins, hold your cursor over his name. ↵

• (ii) This quote appears in all Jewish Year Books from 1965 through 1996. The fact that the synagogue was initially established as an independent Orthodox congregation and the information regarding the form of service was provided by a former Chairman of the congregation. ↵

• (iii) https://louisjacobs.org/ and "Whos Who" entries in Jewish Year Books (latest 2006). Manchester-born Rabbi Dr. Jacobs was the founder of the congregation and of the Masorti movement in the UK. The History on the congregation's website, accessed 17 November 2019 refers to Rabbi Jacobs returning "briefly before retiring a second time to be succeeded by Rabbi Reuven Hammer". ↵

• (iv) Profile of Rabbi Weiner formerly on congregation's website, accessed 17 May 2018. ↵

• (v) Obituary of Rabbi Dr. Hammer (1933-12 August 2019) Jerusalem Post dated 15 August 2019. Born in Syracuse, New York, Rabbi Hammer received ordination and a doctorate from the Jewish Thelogical Seminar in New York. He was the founder of the Masorti (Consrvative) Movement in Israel and was head of the Movement for many years. ↵

• (vi) Congregation's website, last accessed 5 May 2024 and Profile of Rabbi Gordon on Masorti Olami's website, accessed 28 February 2018. ↵

• (vii) Congregation's website, last accessed 5 May 2024. ↵

• (viii) and (xi) Reserved.

• (viii) Profile of Cantor Rothschild formerly on congregation's website, accessed 17 May 2018. The History on the congregation's website, accessed 17 November 2019, refers to Cantor Rothschild serving the congregation "in two stints" indicating that the break was when Rev. Brickman served as cantor. ↵

• (xiii) Although the History on the congregation's website, accessed 17 November 2019, refers to "Chazan Stanley Brickman serving briefly in the 1960s", his term of office is based upon Jewish Chronicle reports (one of which refers to his induction in May 1969) and his listing as a minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1970 and 1971. ↵

• (xiv) Profile of Cantor Cotsen on the congregation's website, last accessed 9 June 2020. ↵

• (xv) Jewish Chronicle Report on Cantor Green, 19 February 2018. ↵

• (xvi) and (xvii) Reserved.

• (xviii) The Synagogues of London by Paul Lindsay (1993), page 101. ↵

• (xix) 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. ↵

• (xx) Links to Masorti Judaism's annual reports reports. It is believed that these figures may include more than one member per household. ↵

• (xxi) Companies House website, accessed May 2024. Clicking the company number will take you to the congregation's registration on the Companies House website. ↵

• (xxii) Charity Commission website, accessed May 2024. Clicking the charity number will take you to the congregation's registration on the Charity Commission website. ↵

• (xxiii) The City of Westminster is an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area and was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former City of Westminster (a Metropolitan Borough) with the Metropolitan Boroughs of Paddindton and St Marylebone. ↵