This 40 page booklet is the record of an event that took place 60 years ago. The West End Great Synagogue qt 21 Dean Street, Soho was the successor to the West End Talmud Torah and Bikkur Cholim Synagogue, which was at 14 Manette Street, off Charing Cross Road until 1941. It is an independent congregation, with some affiliation to the Federation of Synagogues. The actual Synagogue closed in the 1990s, with the remaining members going to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. However, it still apparently exists as an organization, with its own Burial Society and Cemetery.
The original community was of shop keepers and immigrants who lived in the West End. For example, my great aunt and uncle, who had a shoe shop in Berwick Street were members, very loyal to the Shul, for decades after they had actually moved to Willesden. They did, however, for many years, have an especially distinguished Rabbi. He was Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, author of many books, of whom I have written before.
Rabbi Ferber arrived in England in 1911 and was appointed Rabbi of the West End Talmud Torah Synagogue in 1913, where he stayed until he retired in 1955. He centralized the various local activities and religious life of the community of Jewish working class immigrants into one institution. He was for many years the Honorary Secretary of the London Vaad HaRabbonim (The Rabbinical Council), and a member of the World Rabbinical Council of Agudas Yisroel. He was hugely admired, a great orator, and was known for spending every day in the reading room of the nearby British Museum, with its collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts.
Rabbi Maurice Lew was appointed Rabbi of the West End Great Synagogue in 1963, and this consecration of the rebuilt building (it had been badly damaged in wartime bombing) included his official induction as Rabbi.
Rabbi Lew was born in the Polish town of Siedlce and was brought to England at the age of four, when his father, Rabbi Israel Joseph Lew was appointed Rabbi of the Mile End and Bow Congregation. I have written about Rabbi Israel Joseph Lew previously. Rabbi Maurice Lew was educated at the Yeshiva Etz Chaim in Thrawl Street, London, and then at Jews College. He obtained his semicha (rabbinical diploma) from Rabbi Isaac Herzog and others. He was Rabbi at Highgate from 1932 to 1947, and served as a chaplain to the armed forces from 1940 to 1946. He was the senior British chaplain of the India Command and served in India, Burma, the Middle East, Italy and Germany. From 1947 to 1963 he was a Rabbi in South Africa. He retired as Rabbi at Dean Street in 1979. He had two sons, Jonathan Lew, who was Chief Executive of the United Synagogue, and Julian Lew, an international lawyer. His brother was Dayan Dr. Myer Lew.
I remember Rabbi Lew very well. When I was a student, we would stay over Shabbos at Hillel House in London and walk to Dean Street out of the tourist season to ensure that there was a minyan (a quorum of ten men) there for Shabbos services. It was very strange walking through what had become the notorious Soho red light district to go to Shul (Synagogue). Dean Street Shul generously donated money for Jewish student activities.
My copy of the Order of Service has hand-written instructions in Hebrew – it apparently belonged to someone involved in the consecration service – perhaps the Chazan (Cantor)..
The service was conducted by Rev. Chaim Graniewitz and Rev. Leslie Mockton.
Chaim Graniewitz was born in Morfengen, East Prussia. He emigrated to Palestine with his family in 1933 and came to London in 1958, when he was appointed Chazan of the West End Great Synagogue. From 1973 to 1995 he was Chazan at the Stanmore and Cannons Park Synagogue.
Leslie Mockton was born in Cheetham Hill in Manchester. he attended Manchester Yeshiva,and was Minister at several synagogues before being appointed Assistant Minister at the West End Graet Synagogue from 1958 to 1965. Later he served at the Highams Park and Chingford Synagogue, and from 1988 to 1997 the Waltham Forest Hebrew Congregation.
Jewish Miscellanies 