New North London Synagogue

Congregation Data

New North London Synagogue

The Manor House, 80 East End Road, Finchley, N3 2SY⁽ⁱ⁾

Active

The congregation was founded in 1974⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ as an "independent traditional community following the philosophy of Rabbi Dr. L. Jacobs"⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾, being a daughter congregation of the New London Synagogue. Although initially an independent Orthodox congregation, the congregation gradually adopted a Masorti (Conservative) ritual.

The congregation became a founding member of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues when that organisation was established in 1985 (being the second longest established Masorti congregation in the UK) and has the status of constituent synagogue of the organisation (known as Masorti Judaism since 2012).^(iv) It is the largest Masorti synagogue in terms of number of members and has been so for many years.

http://www.nnls-masorti.org.uk

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg - Minister & Senior Rabbi from 1987 until present (October 2022)^(v)

Rabbi Roni Tabick (& Rebbetzen Shoshana Tabick) - Assistant Rabbi from August 2015 until about January 2019.^(vi)

Rabbi Amanda Golby - Rabbi (Pastoral Support) in about 2018.^(vii)

Rabbi Chaim Weiner - Rabbi (Scholar in Residence) from at least 2007 until present (October 2022).^(viii)

Rabbi Oliver Joseph - Assistant Rabbi from late 2018 until August 2021.^(ix)

Rabbi Zahavit Shalev - Assistant Rabbi from September 2019 until present (October 2022).^(x)

National Reports or Surveys^(xii)

1983 - 146 male members and an estimated 141 female members

1990 - 294 members (comprising 275 households, 14 individual male and 5 individual female members)

1996 - 450 members (comprising 311 households, 54 individual male and 85 individual female members)

2010 & 2016- listed as having 1,000 to 1,499 members (by household)

Annual Reports of the Congregation^(xiii) - number of members (households)

2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
848	897	928	968	1,002	1,035	1,078	1,122	1,151	1,178	1199

Annual Reports of Masorti Judaism^(xiv) - number of members as of 1 January:

2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
1,513	1,608	1,700	1,750	1,771	1,830	1,728	1,938	2,010	2,043	2,071

Communication from the Congregation^(xv)

21 September 2022 - 1,452 households comprising 3,681 people (2,402 adults of 21 and 1,209 children)

Finchley, a residential suburb in Northwest London, is in the London Borough of Barnet, within the administrative area of Greater London, both of which entities were established on 1 April 1965.

Barnet^(xviii) - Link to Register Office website

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Address shown from first listing in Jewish Year Books. ↵

• (ii) Although the congregation was not listed in Jewish Year Books until 1984, such listing included a note that the congregation was established in 1974. ↵

• (iii) Quote from Jewish Year Book 1986. ↵

• (iv) From the first appearance of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogue (AMS) in Jewish Year Books, the congregation was listed as a constituent and has been defined as a constituent synagogue in AMS's annual reports from the filing of AMS's first annual report in 2007 (which followed AMS's incorporation - it had previously been an unincorporated association) until the latest annual report, filed for 2017 (see note (xii) below). ↵

• (v) "Who's Who" entries in Jewish Year Books (latest 2015), congregation's website, last accessed October 2022) and Rabbi Wittenberg's profile on own website http://jonathanwittenberg.org/, accessed 22 September 2019. Glasgow-born Rabbi Wittenberg, who receaved his ordination from Leo Baeck College, London, in 1987, was appointed Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism in the UK in 2008. ↵

• (vi) The Jewish Chronicle 8 May 2015, p. 18, refers to Rabbi Tabick's appointment from the coming August. According to the congregation's website, he was still in office, when the site was accessed on 24 December 2018 but was no longer listed when accessed in February 2019. ↵

• (vii) Listed on the congregation's website, accessed 3 May 2018, without indication as to when she commenced service, but no longer listed when accessed in November 2018. ↵

• (viii) Congregation's website, accessed 3 May 2018 and 24 December 2018 and communication from congregation, October 2022 ↵

• (ix) Rabbi Joseph was listed as an assistant rabbi on the congregation's website, when accessed on various dates from 22 November 2018 through January 2020. Date of leaving communicated by the congregation in October 2022.  ↵

• (x) Rabbi Shalev is listed as an assistant rabbi on the congregation's website, when accessed September 2019 and October 2022. She previously served as student rabbi at the congregation from 2012. ↵

• (xi) Reserved.

• (xii) 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. ↵

• (xiii) In light of the differences between these figures and the figures taken from Masorti Judaism's annual reports (see below), it is presumed that these memberships figures do not include more than one member per household See links to annual reports below. ↵

• (xiv) In light of the differences between these figures and the figures taken from the congregation's own annual reports (see above), it is presumed that these memberships figures include more that one member per household. See Links to Masorti Judaism's annual reports reports. ↵

• (xv) Communication from a member of the congregation on 21 September 2022. ↵

• (xvi) Companies House website (in beta trial stage), accessed 23 April 2018 and 8 March 2019, and congregations annual report for year ended 31 October 2003. ↵

• (xvii) Charities Commissioners website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 23 April 2018. ↵

• (xviii) The former Registration District was Henden, from the formation of the congregation until 1 April 1999. All registers would now be held by current register office. ↵