the former

Inverness Hebrew Congregation

Inverness, Highland, Scotland

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

City of Inverness

Inverness is the only city in Scottish Highlands. With a population of over 50,000, it is situated at the mouth of the river Ness, as it flows into the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland. In 1975, Inverness became part of the District of Inverness in the Highland Region. In 1996, the Inverness District ceased to exist when the Highland became a unitary authority. Prior to 1975, Inverness was situated within the traditional county of Inverness-shire.

Inverness Jewish Community

Inverness has only ever had a very small Jewish community and a single congregation. During its existence it had the distinction of being the most northerly Jewish community in the United Kingdom.

Congregation Data
Name:	Inverness Hebrew Congregation
Address:	In 1905, it was reported that "a suitable hall in the centre of town" had been found⁽ⁱ⁾ and in a report of April 1907, the congregation's address was given as Synagogue Chambers, 4 Falcon Square, Inverness. There are no other known references to an address for the congregation.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Date Founded:	The congregation was established in February 1905, the synagogue being opened by Mr. I. Iseaman, who was presented with a key by Mr. Merrins, the president.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Status:	Defunct. Although a small number of Jews remained resident in Inverness up to the late 1960s (and it was still listed in Jewish Year Books until 1969), the congregation appears to have effectively ceased to be operative many years earlier.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	None, but the congregation was under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.^(iv)
Ministers: (To view a short profile of a minister - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. Samuel Arkush - from about 1907 until 1908.^(vii) Rev. Leib Aisak Falk - from about 1912 until 1913.^(viii) Rev. S. Garber - from about 1913 until about 1915.^(ix) Rev. Isaiah Ticktin - from about 1916 until about 1918.^(x)
Lay Officers:^(xiv)	M. Merrins - President from 1905 to about 1911^(xv) C.H. Taube - Treasurer from at least 1907 until 1911; Hon. Secretary from 1911 until about 1913; and Treasurer from 1913 until an undetermined date.^(xvi) I. Rosenbloom - Treasurer from 1911 until about 1913.^(xvii) I. Finkelstein - President from 1911 until an undetermined date; Treasurer from 1918 until undetermined date; and Hon. Secretary from about 1949 until about 1953.^(xviii) L. Govan - Hon. Secretary from 1913 until an undetermined date.^(xix) L. Morris - Hon. Secretary from 1953 until an undetermined date.^(xx)
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 February 1905. ↵ (ii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 12 April 1907. There was never as address for the congregation listed in any Jewish Year Book. ↵ (iii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 February 1905. ↵ (iv) The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 February 1905. ↵ (v) and (vi) Reserved. (vii) Rev. Arkush was already minister in Inverness in May 1907, during a visit by the Chief Rabbi (The Jewish Chronicle report of 7 June 1907). and left Inverness in about August 1908 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 14 August 1908). He is not listed in any Jewish Year Book as a minister in Inverness. ↵ (viii) The Jewish Chronicle reports and Rev. (later Rabbi) Falk's listing as minister of the congregation solely in Jewish Year Book 1913. ↵ (ix) Rev. Garber (as Garter) is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1914 until 1927. However, based upon other sources, this is clearly an error and, in fact, there were no changes made as regards any of the officers listed for Inverness during those years, presumably the Jewish Year Book did not receive any update from the community, and merely reprinted the previous year's information. ↵ (x) Jewish Chronicle report of 14 March 1919 on his move to Dundee, having apparently left Inverness in 2018, based upon an advert for his replacement in October 1918. Rec. Ticklin is not listed as minister of the congregation in any Jewish Year Book. ↵ (xi) to (xiii) Reserved (xiv) The Jewish Year Books from 1914 through 1927 contained absolutely identical information for this community and it is presumed that the publication did not receive updates from the community and merely reprinted the previous year's information. Accordingly, such published information is considered as unreliable, in particular as regards the later years. ↵ (xv) Mr. Merrins was elected president at the inaugural meeting of February 1905 (The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 February 1905) and is listed as president of the congregation until the Jewish Year Book 1911. ↵ (xvi) Mr. Taube is listed as treasurer of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1907/8 through 1911 and as hon. secretary in the 1912 and 1913 editions. He is again listed as treasurer from Jewish Year Book 1914, but such listing is unreliable as regards later years. His election as hon. secretary and treasurer are confirmed, respectively, by The Jewish Chronicle reports of 10 November 1911 and 9 May 1913. ↵ (xvii) Mr. Rosenbloom is listed as treasurer of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1912 and 1913. His election is confirmed in The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 November 1911. ↵ (xviii) Mr. Finkelstein is listed as president of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1912 through 1927 but such listing is unreliable as regards the later years. He also is listed as hon. secretary from 1950 through 1953. His election as president is confirmed by The Jewish Chronicle reports of 10 November 1911 and 9 May 1913 and as president and treasurer by The Jewish Chronicle report of 10 August 1918. ↵ (xix) Mr. Govan (also spelled Gavin) is listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in in Jewish Year Book from 1914, but such listing is unreliable as regards later years. His election is confirmed by The Jewish Chronicle report of 9 May 1913. ↵ (xx) Mr. Morris is listed as the last hon. secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1954. ↵

Search the All-UK Database

The records in the database associated with Inverness include:

Burials (JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Register)

Inverness New Tomnahurich Cemetery (20 records)

1851 Anglo Jewry Database (updated 2016)

Individuals in the 1851 Anglo Jewry Database who were living in Inverness during the 1840s (1 record) and 1850s (1 record).

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to the Inverness Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Inverness Jewish Community 1905 -1995.

Bibliography:

Caledonian Jews - A Study of Seven Small Communities in Scotland by Nathan Abrams (2009).

other Scottish bibliography.

on Third Party websites

"Inverness Jewish Community" on Scottish Jewish Archives Centre website.

Inverness Jewish Cemetery Information

There is a small Jewish cemetery in Inverness:

Tomnahurich New Cemetery, Jewish Section, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness

Earliest burials date from 1906. Contains about 23 graves (20 of which are searchable in JOWBR database, see above).
The Scottish Jewish Cemeteries website, created and maintained by Derek Tobias, includes a searchable database in respect of burials at this cemetery

(For additional information, see also IAJGS Cemetery Project - Inverness)

Inverness Jewish Population Data

1905

12 families

(The Jewish Year Book 1905/06)

1945

16

(The Jewish Year Book 1946/46)

1949

20

(The Jewish Year Book 1950)

1953

12

(The Jewish Year Book 1954)

Jewish Communities and Congregations in Scotland home page

Page created: 6 October 2005
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 26 January 2021
Page most recently amended: 27 January 2021

Research by Harold Pollins and David Shulman
Formatting by David Shulman

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