Mosaic Liberal Synagogue

Congregation Data

Mosaic Liberal Synagogue (from 2015)⁽ⁱ⁾

Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue (from about 1989 until 2015⁽ⁱⁱ⁾)

Wembley and District Liberal Synagogue (from about 1954 until about 1989⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾), frequently referred to as Preston Road Liberal Synagogue.

Wembley Progressive Jewish Community (until about 1954^(iv))

Since 2014, the congregation has been constituent synagogue of the Mosaic Jewish Community, a unique concept for Anglo-Jewry - a single community with three “strands” of Judaism - Reform, Masorti and Liberal.^(v)

The other two constituent congregations are Mosaic Reform Synagogue (formerly Middlesex New Synagogue) and the Mosaic Masorti Synagogue (formerly the Hatch End Masorti Synagogue).

In late 2022, the congregation moved to 1a Halsbury Close, 65 Stanmore Hill, HA7 3DY, a purpose-built complex housing all three Mosaic congregations.^(vi)

39 Bessborough Road, Harrow HA1 3BS (from June 2011^(vii))

This was the address of the Middlesex New Synagogue (now the Mosaic Reform Synagogue), which had been situated there since 1962 and which became the shared address of both congregations and subsequently the shared administrative address of all three Mosaic congregations.

326 Preston Road Harrow HA3 0QH (from about 1954^(viii))

This was previously the Preston Lawn Tennis Club (consisting of five hard courts, a putting green and a small wooden pavilion). It was acquired in 1954 and initially a temporary synagogue was constructed, with a permanent synagogue being built in 1965, with a major extension in 1978. In 2004, A new synagogue was built on one-third of land (the remaining two-thirds having been sold in 2003). In 2011, the remaining site was sold.^(ix)

Active

1952, although the congregation appears to have roots going back to 1948^(x)

Liberal Progressive

A constituent synagogue of Liberal Judaism (formerly the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues- ULPS) from, or from shortly following, its founding.

Rev. Vivian George Simmons - from 1956 until 1961^(xi)

Rev. Bernard Hooker - from about 1961 until about 1965^(xii)

F. Pomerantz^(xiii) in about 1965 and 1966

Rabbi Dr. Albert H. Friedlander - from about 1966 until about 1971^(xiv)

Rabbi David Goldberg - from about 1971 until about 1976^(xv)

Rabbi Harry Jacobi - from about 1975 until about 1982^(xvi)

Rabbi Dr. Charles Middleburgh - from about 1986 until about 1997^(xvii)

Rabbi Dr. Frank Dabba Smith - from 1997 until 2019^(xviii)

Rabbi Rachel Benjamin - from 2020 until present (May 2023)^(xix)

National Reports & Surveys^(xxv)

1977 - 456 male (or household) members and 166 female members

1983 - 439 male (or household) members and 150 female members

1990 - 544 members (comprising 338 households, 63 individual male and 143 individual female members)

1996 - 523 members (comprising 250 households, 92 individual male and 181 individual female members)

2010 - listed as having 300 to 399 members (by household)

2016 - listed as having 200 to 299 members (by household)

The congregation is a registered charity (no. 251172), registered on 10 February 1967. The governing documents are the congregation's Constitution and Rules amended 27 April 1989, 25 April 1991 and 6 May 2005.^(xxvi)

Bessborough Road and Stanmore Hill are in the London Borough of Harrow, an Outer London Borough created on 1 April 1965.

Although part of Preston Road (where the congregation was previously situated) has a Harrow address, it is actually all within the London Borough of Brent^(xxviii) (not the London Borough of Harrow) and was (until 1965) in the former Municipal Borough of Wembley in the former County of Middlesex.

Bessborough Road & Stanmore Hill - Harrow - Link to Register Office website

Preston Road - Brent^(xxix) - Link to Register Office website

See London Cemeteries of Liberal Judaism.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) The congregation's annual report for the year ended 31 December 2015. This name was adopted a short time after the congregation became a member of the the Mosaic Jewish Community, see below. ↵

• (ii) Based upon listing under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1990 through 2015. ↵

• (iii) Based upon listing under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1955 through 1989. ↵

• (iv) Based upon listing under this name in Jewish Year Books from the congregation's first appearance (1952) through 1954. ↵

• (v) Mosaic Jewish Community's website, accessed 23 November 2018. ↵

• (vi) Mosaic Jewish Community's website, accessed 14 May 2023. ↵

• (vii) Congregation's website, accessed 8 March 2015. ↵

• (viii) Based upon this being the address of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1955 through 2012. ↵

• (ix) Congregation's website, accessed 8 March 2015 and 18 September 2018. ↵

• (x) 1952 is the date given in Jewish Year Books, although the congregation's website states that in 1948 the congregation was founded. ↵

• (xi) Based upon Rev. Simmons's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1957 through 1961. ↵

• (xii) Based upon Rev. Hooker's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1962 through 1965. ↵

• (xiii) Based upon F. Pomerantz's listing as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1966.  ↵

• (xiv) Based upon Rabbi Friedlander's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1967 through 1971 and his Guardian newspaper obituary dated 13 July 2004. ↵

• (xv) Based upon Rabbi Goldberg's listing as minister for the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1972 through 1975. ↵

• (xvi) Based upon Rabbi Jacobi's listing as rabbi of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1976 through 1982. ↵

• (xvii) Based upon Rabbi Middleburgh's listing as rabbi of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1984 through 1987 and his profile on Liberal Judaism's website. He was student rabbi at the congregation from 1983 to 1986. There was no minister listed for the congregation in the 1983 edition. ↵

• (xviii) Based upon Rabbi Smith's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1998 until the last edition of the book (2015) and the congregation's website, accessed 2 August 2019 and 27 January 2020. ↵

• (xix) Still listed on the congregation's website, accessed 14 May 2023.  ↵

• (xx) to (xxiv) Reserved.

• (xxv) 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. ↵

• (xxvi) Charities Commission's website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 18 September 2018. ↵

• (xxvii) Reserved.

• (xxviii) The London Borough of Brent, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Municipal Boroughs of Willesden and Wembley (both of which had been in the former county of Middlesex).. ↵

• (xxix) The former Registration Districts for Preston Road were Willesden, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965, and Hendon, from formation of the congregation until 1 October 1947. ↵