The Central Synagogue was founded in 1848, in the West End, because that was where the wealthier members of the London Jewish community had moved - away from the three City of London synagogues. Originally at 120 Great Portland Street, it moved to 133-141 Great Portland Street (where the current synagogue is) in 1868, and … Continue reading List of Seatholders of the Central Synagogue, Great Portland Street, London, 1909.
Category: Synagogues
Oneg Shabbos, Anthology of Ancient Hebrew Table Songs (Zemiroth), Rev. H. Mayerowitsch, London, 1951.
This is actually the second, posthumous edition of a book first published in 1937. Herman Mayerowitsch was born on June 13th, 1882, in Deraznia, a small town in Russia where his father was buergermaster or mayor. At an early age he went with his parents to Czortcow (then Austrian Poland). He had a natural gift … Continue reading Oneg Shabbos, Anthology of Ancient Hebrew Table Songs (Zemiroth), Rev. H. Mayerowitsch, London, 1951.
Seder Brachos – The Blessings by D. A. De Sola, London, 1829.
David Aaron De Sola was born in Amsterdam in 1796. In 1818, just 23 years old, he was appointed Assistant Hazan (Cantor) of the Bevis Marks Sephardic synagogue in London. The De Sola family had a long history and association with Bevis Marks, and his kinsman, Isaac De Sola was Hazan in London from 1690 … Continue reading Seder Brachos – The Blessings by D. A. De Sola, London, 1829.
Sermons by Abraham P. Mendes, London, 1855.
My copy of this significant book touches on various aspects of Anglo-Jewish history, including Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Birmingham, London, Swansea and other places. The author of the book, which includes sermons preached in Birmingham and at the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, was Abraham Pereira Mendes. There is also an interesting provenance, as my copy was … Continue reading Sermons by Abraham P. Mendes, London, 1855.
The Responsa of Adreth, Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, London, 1925
This interesting book uses some of the 3,100 'Responsa' (questions and answers) of Rabbi Solomon Ben Adreth of Barcelona (known as RaSHBA) as a source of the history and communal life of the Jews in Spain, particularly Aragon in the 13th century CE. It was the Ph.D. thesis of Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, and probably … Continue reading The Responsa of Adreth, Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, London, 1925
Fifty Years After, Sermons and Addresses (third series) by Rabbi Dr. Sir Hermann Gollancz, Oxford University Press, 1924.
These sermons and writings continue those previously published which include the period of the First World War, and although not in a modern style, are very evocative of the period. Sir Hermann Gollancz was the Rabbi (Minister) of the Bayswater Synagogue, which had an old established, relatively wealthy congregation of very British Jews. Rabbi Doctor … Continue reading Fifty Years After, Sermons and Addresses (third series) by Rabbi Dr. Sir Hermann Gollancz, Oxford University Press, 1924.
Nelson Street Synagogue, Membership List, London 1930.
The Nelson Street Synagogue was probably founded about 1913, and was closed by 1932. This list of members, with eleven pages, seems to be a healthy number in 1930. The reason for closing the synagogue in 1932 in unknown. It was an affiliate of the Federation of Synagogues. The list, compiled by the Synagogue Secretary, … Continue reading Nelson Street Synagogue, Membership List, London 1930.
Inauguration of the Sabbath and Friday Evening Service by Rev. W. Stoloff, London, 1930.
Come on in to Hampstead Synagogue, Dennington Park Road. It is 1930, and here is the Friday night service, with Chazan and Choir. This book is by Rev. Wolf Stoloff. He was born in Shervint, near Kovno, Lithuania, and came to England in 1895. He married Ada Wolk in 1897 at the New West End … Continue reading Inauguration of the Sabbath and Friday Evening Service by Rev. W. Stoloff, London, 1930.
The Authorized Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire, London 1898 (Parkhurst Prison copy).
This is a copy of the "Singer's Prayer Book", fifth edition, 1898. What makes this copy special is that it is stamped PKTP, which stands for Parkhurst Prison. Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, began as a childrens hospital and prison in 1778. In the nineteenth century, inmates were transported to Australia and New Zealand. … Continue reading The Authorized Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire, London 1898 (Parkhurst Prison copy).
Jewish Hospitality Committee for British and Allied Forces, letter to Rabbi Maurice Abraham Jaffe, 1945.
I don't usually collect rabbinical letters, but this one is interesting and gives me the opportunity to write about Rabbi Maurice Abraham Jaffe. Rabbi Jaffe was born in Salford in 1917. He went to Manchester Yeshiva and Manchester University, where he graduated in law (LL.B.) with honors in Public International Law. He was rabbi of … Continue reading Jewish Hospitality Committee for British and Allied Forces, letter to Rabbi Maurice Abraham Jaffe, 1945.
Jewish Miscellanies 