Southgate Progressive Synagogue

Congregation Data

Southgate Progressive Synagogue

Southgate & District Liberal Synagogue (from about 1950 until about 1989⁽ⁱ⁾)

Southgate & Enfield Progressive Synagogue (until about 1950⁽ⁱⁱ⁾)

75 Chase Road, Oakwood, London N14 4QY

The site was acquired in 1954 and an initial synagogue was built in 1959. The original house, named Richard Michael House, is now used as administrative offices, by the Religion School and other Synagogue groups. In what was the large garden is now the site of the Schindler Hall which provides High Holyday seating. The present purpose-built synagogue, opened in 1989, is situated at the side of the house.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

The congregation's previous address was the Community Hall, Green Road, Chase Side, Southgate, London N.14^(iv)

Active

1943^(v)

Liberal Progressive

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

Rabbi Dr. Rudolph Brasch - from early 1940s until about 1946^(vii)

Rabbi Jakob Jankel Kokotek - about 1946 until about 1948^(viii)

S. Solomons - about 1948 until about 1956^(ix)

Rabbi Harry Jacobi - from about 1956 until about 1975^(x)

Rabbi C. Cohen - from about 1975 until about 1984^(xi)

Rabbi Stephen Howard - from about 1987 until about 2010^(xii)

Rabbi Yuval Keren - from July 2012 until present (January 2020)^(xiii)

Rev. E. Lewandowski - from about 1946 until about 1956^(xv)

National Reports & Surveys^(xvi)

1977 - 379 male (or household) members and 33 female members

1983 - 390 male (or household) members and 37 female members

1990 - 740 members (comprising 366 households, 314 individual male and 60 individual female members)

1996 - 550 members (households)

2010 & 2016 - listed as having 500 to 749 members (by household)

The congregation is a registered charity (no. 239096), registered on 31 March 1965. The governing documents are  the congregation's Deed of Trust dated 20 November 1953 and its Constitution amended 10 February 2005 and 26 June 2008.^(xvii)

The North London suburb of Southgate (including the area of Oakwood) is in the southwest of the London Borough of Enfield and was previously (until 1965) in the former Municipal Borough of Southgate (incorporated as a borough in 1933, previously the Urban District of Southgate from 1894) in the former County of Middlesex.^(xviii)

Enfield^(xix) - Link to Register Office website

Worship Number: 64128

SeeLondon Cemeteries of Liberal Judaism.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Based upon listing under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1951 through 1989. ↵

• (ii) Based upon listing under this name in Jewish Year Books from first appearnce (1945) through 1950. ↵

• (iii) Congregation's website, accessed 1 January 2015 and 16 September 2018. ↵

• (iv) This was the address given in Jewish Year Books from 1945/6 through 1954. ↵

• (v) Congregation's website, first accessed 1 January 2015. ↵

• (vi) Reserved.

• (vii) Prabook biography and listing as minister of this congregation solely in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵

• (viii) Based upon Rabbi Kokotek's listing as minister of this congregation in Jewish Year Books 1947 and 1948. ↵

• (ix) Based upon S. Solomons's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1949 through 1956. ↵

• (x) There was no minister for this congregation listed in Jewish Year Books from 1957 through 1964 and Rabbi Jacobi was only listed as minister in Jewish Year Books from 1965 through 1975. However, according to the tribute to Rabbi Jacobi on Liberal Judaism's web site (accessed 2 May 2019), he served as minister of the congregation from 1961, following his being ordained as a reverend, and continued serving until 1975 (having been ordained as a rabbi in 1971). ↵

• (xi) Based upon Rabbi Cohen's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1976 through 1984. There was no minister listed for the congregation in the editions from 1985 through 1987. ↵

• (xii) Based upon Rabbi Howard's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1988 through 2011. ↵

• (xiii) Based upon Rabbi Keren's profile on the congregation's website, last accessed 5 January 2020, although there was no minister actually listed for the congregation in the Jewish Year Books from 2012 through 2015 (its last year of publication). ↵

• (xiv) Reserved.

• (xv) Based upon Rev. Lewandowski's listing as reader for the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1947 through 1956. ↵

• (xvi) 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. ↵

• (xvii) Charities Commission's website (in beta trial stage) and Open Charities website, both accessed 16 September 2018. ↵

• (xviii) The London Borough of Enfield, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Municipal Boroughs of Enfield, Edmonton and Southgate. All three municipal boroughs had been within the former County of Middlesex. ↵

• (xix) The former Registration Districts were Wood Green, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965, and Edmonton, from formation of the congregation until 1 October 1947. All registers would now be held by current register office. ↵