Elm Park Affiliated Synagogue

Elm Park Affiliated Synagogue

Elm Park Hebrew Congregation, until about 1961⁽ⁱ⁾

Woburn Avenue, Elm Park, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 4NQ.

The synagogue was situated next to a main railway line. The permanent building was constructed and opened on Sunday, 18 September 1949 by Miss Shirley Tabor, daughter of the then president of the congregation (see photograph below). She was taking the place of her mother, who had recently passed away, and opening ceremony included the unveling of commemorative windows dedicated to the late Mrs. Tabor. The ceremony, attended by Councillor W.J. Bush, chairman of the Hornchurch Urban District Council, was conducted by Rev. I. Miller accompanied by the choir of the Great Synagogue.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Established in 1939⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ either by recent World War II evacuees, or the congregation's membership was materially augmented by the arrival of such evacuees.

Closed 1999. The synagogue memorials and other artefacts were transferred to the Romford Synagogue. The site was redeveloped into two blocks of apartments (8 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom), the first sales of which took place in summer, 2000.^(iv)

Ashkenazi Orthodox

The Congregation joined the United Synagogue as an Affiliated Synagogue in 1948^(v) and remained so until its closure.

Rev. Mendel Yare - from about 1966 until about 1976^(vi)

Rev. Harry Landy - from about 1976 until about 1987^(vii)

Rabbi Saul Wiseman - from about 1992 until 1999^(viii)

Chairman

1948-1950 - L. Tree

President

1949-1950 - V. Tabor

Vice-President

1949-1950 - D. Carson

Wardens

1950-1952 - A. Podgormey & J. Gershon

1952-1953 - A. Podgormey & D. Carson

1953-1956 - D. Carson & A. Palmer

Treasurers or Financial Representatives

1948-1950 - Sam Patchick

1950-1952 - L. Tree

1952-1956 - Sam Patchick

Hon. Secretaries

1948-1950 - G. Davis

1950-1962 - H. Levene

1962-1975 - H. Leigh

1975-1978 - N. Goldberg

United Synagogue (male seat-holders)^(xi)

1948	1950	1960	1970
48	53	87	82

Reports & Surveys^(xii)

1977 - 83 male (or household) members and 11 female members

1983 - 66 male (or household) members and 16 female members

1990 - 64 members (comprising 62 households, 1 individual male and 1 individual female member)

1996 - 58 members (households)

Other Source^(xiii)

1985 - about 60 members

1989 - 47 members

1997 - 37 members

The suburb of Elm Park is in the London Borough of Havering (the most easterly of all London Boroughs) and was previously (until 1965) in the former Urban District of Hornchurch (which had been created in 1929).^(xiv)

Havering^(xv) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery Information:

See IAJGS Cemeteries Project: Cemeteries of the United Synagogue

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) This was the name under which the congregation appears in the Jewish Year Books until 1961. ↵

• (ii) We are extremely grateful to the Havering Libraries - Local Studies for providing this information about the opening of the synagogue. ↵

• (iii) Havering Libraries - Local Studies, Facebook page, February 2021. Although the congregation was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1949, Peter Renton in The Lost Synagogues of London, 2004, (p. 167) lists the congregation as one of the congregations "started by Londoners during the evacuation" and adds that the Synagogue "was probably formed around 1940". ↵

• (iv) Information provided by Havering Libraries - Local Studies. The date of closure is also confirmed by The Lost Synagogues of London by Peter Renton (2004) p. 167. Furthermore, the last listing was in the Jewish Year Book 1998.↵

• (v) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by A. Newman (1977), p.222. ↵

• (vi) Based upon Rev. Yare's listing in Jewish Year Books from 1967 through 1976. He appears to have been the first Minister appointed by the Congregation. ↵

• (vii) Based upon Rev. Landy's listing in Jewish Year Books from 1977 through 1987. ↵

• (viii) Based upon Rabbi Wiseman's listing in the Jewish Year Books from 1993 through the final appearance of the Congregation in the 1998 edition. ↵

• (ix) 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 hon. secretary, subsequent to 1956. ↵

• (x) Reserved.

• (xi) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by A. Newman (1977), pp.218/9. ↵

• (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. 167. ↵

• (xiii) The Lost Synagogues of London by Peter Renton (2004) p. 167. ↵

• (xiv) The London Borough of Havering, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Urban District of Hornchurch with Municipal Borough of Romford. All areas had previously been within the County of Essex. ↵

• (xv) The former Registration District was Romford, from the formation of the Congregation until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵