Pinner Synagogue

Pinner, Middx.

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Front Extrance to Pinner Synagogue, Cecil Park

Congregation Data

Name:

Pinner Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Former Names:

Pinner Hebrew Congregation (until about 1948)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Pinner and District Hebrew Congregation (from about 1948 until about 1951)^(iv)

Pinner and District Synagogue (from about 1951 until about 1961)^(v)

Pinner and District Affiliated Synagogue (from about 1961 until about 1980)^(vi)

Address:

1 Cecil Park, Pinner (Middlesex), HA5 5HJ,^(viii)

The first synagogue building on the site was constructed in about 1951. In 1979, work commenced on building a new synagogue on the site, designed by architect Alexander Finder, which was completed and reconsecrated in 1982.^(ix)

Previously, the congregation met in Canon Lane School, Pinner, from at least 1948.^(x)

Date Formed:

Established in 1941.^(xi)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

Independent^(xii) until joined the United Synagogue as an affiliated synagogue in 1948.^(xiii) It became a constituent synagogue in about 1980.^(xiv)

Website:

https://www.pinnershul.org

Satellite Congregation:

From 1987, a branch congregation was established in neighboring Northwood by local members of the Pinner Synagogue. After two to three years as a satellite community, in 1990, Northwood Synagogue became a separate community in their own right.

Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rabbi Solomon Warshaw - minister from 1961 until 1965.^(xviii)

Rabbi Lionel Cofnas - minister from 1966 until 1971.^(xix)

Rabbi Avrohom Katz - minister from at least 1974 until about 1976.^(xx)

Rabbi Yaakov Grunewald - minister from 1976 until 2010.^(xxi)

Rabbi Danny Bergson - minister from 2011 until 2018.^(xxiv)

Rabbi Ben Kurzer and Rebbetzen Abi Kurzer - rabbinic couple from 2019 until 2024.^(xxv)

Rabbi Jason Kleiman and Rebbetzen Elise Kleiman - rabbinic couple from 2024 to the present (June 2025).^(xxvi)

Lay Officers:

All data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxx)

Wardens

1948-1950 - S. Rabinowitch & A. Bernstein

1950-1951 - A. Bernstein & J. Isenberg

1951-1952 - A. Bernstein & A. Silverston

1952-1953 - A. Bernstein & A. Gold

1953-1954 - A. Gold & M. Kelner

1954-1955 - A. Gold & J. Isenberg

1955-1956 - J. Isenberg & J. Leverton

from 1956 - no data

Chairmen

1947-1950 - M. Lipman

1950-1952 - L. Finesilver

1952-1954 - M. Goldbart

1954-1955 - Dr. C.H. Nemeth

1955-1956 - A. Solomons

from 1956 - no data

Treasurers

1948-1949 - J.W. Harris

1949-1952 - M. Goldbart

1952-1954 - S. Fasht

1954-1955 - H. Solomons

Financial Representative

1955-1956 - S. Williams

from 1956 - no data

Secretaries & Hon Secretaries

1947-1962 - H. Lipman

1962-1964 - B. Collins

1964-1974 - Mrs. A. Bernett

Membership Data:

United Synagogue (male seat-holders)^(xxxi)

1948

1950

1960

1970

51

74

135

226

National Reports & Surveys^(xxxii)

1977 - 379 male (or household) members and 52 female members

1983 - 508 male (or household) members and 68 female members

1990 - 911 members (comprising 894 households, 12 individual male and 5 individual female members)

1996 - 714 members (comprising 673 households, 21 individual male and 20 individual female members)

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

Charitable Status:

As a constituent of the United Synagogue, the congregation operates within that organisation's registered charity status (registered charity no. 242552).

Local Government Districts:

Pinner, a residential suburb in northwest London, is situated in the London Borough of Harrow, an outer London borough created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London.

Previously, it was in the former Municipal Borough of Harrow from 1954 and the former Urban District of Harrow from 1934 (both coextensive with the present London borough), within the former County of Middlesex.

Registration District (BMD):

Harrow from 1 October 1947^(xxxv) - Link to Register Office website

Worship Registration:

The synagogue in Cecil Park is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 76162 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xxxvi)

Bibliography and Online Sources:

Historical Wanderings of Harrow and Pinner, by R. Sinclair (published by the congregation);
Other Harrow (London Borough) Bibliography;

Cemetery
Information:

For United Synagogue cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This appears to be the official name of the congregation since it became a constituent synagogue of the United Synagogue in about 1980. ↵
(iii) The congregation appeared under this name solely in its first listing in Jewish Year Books (in 1948), when it was listed as an independent congregation. ↵
(iv) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books 1949 through 1951. ↵
(v) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books 1952 through 1961. ↵
(vi) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books 1962 through 1980. ↵
(vii) Reserved.
(viii) Listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Books from 1952. ↵
(ix) Rabbi Yaakov Grunewald website, accessed June 2025, and Synagogues of Europe by Carol Herselle Krinsky (1996), p.430. To view a short profile of A. Flinder and a description of his Jewish architectural works, hold your cursor over his name. ↵
(x) Listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Books 1949 through 1951. ↵
(xi) Note in Jewish Year Books from 1948. ↵
(xii) Listed as independent in the Jewish Year Book 1948. ↵
(xiii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 222. Listed as an affiliated synagogue in Jewish Year Books 1949 through 1980. ↵
(xiv) Listed as a constituent synagogue in Jewish Year Books from 1981. ↵
(xv) to (xvii) Reserved.
(xviii) Jewish Chronicle reports. Rabbi S. Warshaw was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1963 through 1965. ↵
(xix) Jewish Chronicle reports. Rabbi L. Cofnas was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1967 through 1974, although the latter years appear to be an error as he joined Sunderland in about 1971. ↵
(xx) Based upon Rabbi A. Katz's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1975 and 1976, ↵
(xxi) Rabbi Yaakov Grunewald website, accessed June 2025. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1977 through 2011. ↵
(xxii) and (xxiii)
(xxiv) Jewish Chronicle reports. Rabbi D. Bergson was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 2013 until the cessation of publication in 2015. ↵
(xxiv) Jewish News report of 17 May 2022 confirmed his appointment in 2019 and his induction in 2022. Jewish Chronicle of 3 November 2023 reported his move to Golders Green. ↵
(xxvi) Jewish Chronicle of 30 July 2024 reported Rabbi Kleiman's appointment. and the congregation's website, last accessed June 2025. ↵
(xxvii) to (xxix)
(xxx) 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 (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing the the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1951, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1947and continued in office until 1951). However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and accordingly his actual years of office may differ slightly from those shown here. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xxxi) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xxxii) 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. ↵
(xxxiii) and (xxxiv) Reserved.
(lii) The former Registration District was Hendon, from 1 July 1837 until 1 October 1947. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xxxvi) Page 656 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Harrow

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 31 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 23 June 2025
Page most recently amended: 24 June 2025

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jolles (rabbinic profiles)
Formatting by David Shulman

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