Ruislip & District United Synagogue

Congregation Data

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

Institutions associated with the congregation:

• Ladies Guild - formed by 1949^(xxvii)

• AJEX - formed by 1950^(xxviii)

• Ruslip WIZO - formed 1970s^(xxix)

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Reserved.

• (ii) These were the names adopted from, at the latest, when the congregation became a full member of the United Synagogue, and were also used smewhat earlier. ↵

• (iii) This was the name during the period when the congregation had affiliation status, when it was also simply known as Ruislip and District Synagogue (the name listed in Jewish Year Books from 1950 through 1961). ↵

• (iv) The name of the congregation prior to affiliation to the United Synagogue and possibly for shortly thereafter. It was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 through 1949. ↵

• (v) and (vi) Reserved.

• (vii) Shenley Avenue was first listed as the congregation's address in the Jewish Year Book 1951 and was still given as the address on the congregation's website, last accessed early July 2024. However, following the merger, the premises were put up for sale (Internet search). ↵

• (viii) Listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1950. ↵

• (ix) The year 1946 is given on the congregation's website and in Jewish Year Books from 1949. However the congregation was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6, which would indicate it was already established by 1945. Furthermore, according to a Jewish Chronicle report of 3 November 1995 (text below), the congregation celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1995:
  "Ruislip Synagogue has celebrated its golden jubilee with a dinner at which Adele Miller and Rebecca Wise, widows of two of its founding members, were honoured guests. Some 90 members of the congregation heard chairman, Paul Golf, recall the early days when his grandfather, Louis Adelman, and a group of Jewish residents braved the wartime blackout to talk about forming a community. With the advent of peace, the efforts got under way in earnest, with dances, coffee mornings and jumble sales and the formation of a ladies' guild to raise funds. Early services were taken by laymen, but eventually a minister, the Rev Isadore Wilner, was appointed and he remained for 10 years. The Rev Alex Ginsburg and the Rev Mattus Honig preceded the present minister, the Rev David Wolfson, who has had the pulpit for 25 years. Today, warden Maurice Kingston told Community Chronicle, the ladies' guild thrives and active Wizo, Ajex and functions committees help to keep a full communal calendar. As Mr Golf says: "We are not as isolated as people think, and though small, we are as innovative a community as you'll find anywhere." ↵

• (x) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1976), p.222 and the congregation's website. ↵

• (xi) and (xii) Reserved.

• (xiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 11 April 1952 reported that Rev. I. Wilner had been appointed as the new minister at Ruislip and on 9 March 1962 it reported that members of the Ruislip Synagogue had said farewell the previous week to Rev. Wilner, who was leaving. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1954 through 1961. ↵

• (xiv) Rev. Ginsburg retired as an army chaplain in about 1963 and a Jewish Chronicle report of 12 June 1964 places him as minister in Ruislip. He was still serving in Ruislip in 1966. He was not listed as minister of the congregation in any Jewish Year Book ↵

• (xv) Jewish Chronicle adverts in 1966 and on 10 January 1969 placed Rev Honig in Ruislip as minister. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1967 through 1970. ↵

• (xvi) Jewish Chronicle obituary of 9 April 2010. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1976 through 2003 and emeritus minister from 2004 through 2010. ↵

• (xvii) Congregation's website, last accessed August 2022. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 2004 until the final edition (2015). ↵

• (xviii) to (xx) Reserved.

• (xxi) The data listed here has been extracted from Jewish Year Books. Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular officer, 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 (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1950 through 1953, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1949 and continued in office until 1953). 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 the secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵

• (xxii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵

• (xxiii) 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. ↵

• (xxiv) Previous Registration Districts: Uxbridge (from 1 July 1837 to 1 October 1947); Harrow (from 1 October 1947 to 1 April 1965). Any registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

• (xxv) and (xxvi) Reserved.

• (xxvii) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1950 and mentioned on the congregation's website. ↵

• (xxviii) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1951. ↵

• (xxix) Mentioned on the congregation's website, last accessed August 2022, as having been founded over 40 years previously. ↵