Lurgan Hebrew Congregation, Lurgan, Craigavon Borough, County Armagh, Northern Ireland

Joseph Herbert
(formerly Joseph Herzberg)

Founder of the Lurgan Hebrew Congregation

by his great-grandson, Derek Davis

Updated 28 July 2006

The Lurgan Hebrew Congregation was established by my great-grandfather Joseph Herbert (originally Herzberg) who came from Tukums in Latvia.  He married Fanny Rubin (from Triskiai, Lithuania) in Dublin.  They settled in Lurgan and had a family of nine.  There was a regular flow of Jewish commercial travellers – including two of my grandparents –  who stayed with the Herberts and no doubt helped sustain the shul.  Its closure probably connects with his death in the 1920's.  His own home furnishings business, Joseph Herbert & Son, still exists at 16-18 North Street, Lurgan, run by his grandson, Alan Herbert.  You will find passing reference to Joe Herbert and the shul in one of the editions of Collins’ small monograph on the history of Jews in Scotland, which included a brief coverage of Northern Ireland.