the former

Oakfield Place Synagogue

Dublin, Ireland

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2 Oakfield Place, Dublin, in September 2014.
© David Shulman 2014

Congregation Data

Name

Oakfield Place Synagogue

Alternative Name

Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue⁽ⁱ⁾

Address:

2 Oakfield Place, Dublin⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Date Formed:

Founded in 1885.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

The congregation was one of a number of hebrot (small congregations) in Dublin's South Circular Road area (around Clanbrassil Street and Portobello) established in the 1880's and 1890's, primarily by recent immigrants from Lithuania and Poland. These new arrivals were generally far more strictly observant than members of the existing somewhat assimilated Jewish community. The existing synagogue, in Mary's Abbey, held only Saturday morning services and, being some two miles from where the newcomers lived, was a long walk on the Sabbath. Furthermore, it was also too small for the needs of the growing community and the largely Yiddish-speaking newcomers found its services too formal, stern, middle class and unwelcoming. As a result of this influx of "foreign" Jews, this area became home to the majority of Dublin's Jews and was known as "Little Jerusalem".

Closure:

Closed in about 1927,^(iv) shortly following the opening of the United Hebrew Congregation's new Greenville Hall synagogue, which may have attracted members of the congregation.

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Ministers:

Oakfield Place was one of the congregation to which Rev. Alexander Rabinovitz (Robinson) ministered in the 1890s - early 1990s.^(v)

It was one of the six congregations which, in 1919, combined to appoint Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog as communal rabbi of the Dublin Jewish community.^(viii) (He did not become the Chief Rabbi of Ireland until 1922.)

Reader:

Rev. Morris Roith reader from 1918 until about 1921.^(ix)1

Lay Officers from 1896:

The following data on lay officers has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, first published in 1896/97^(x)

Presidents

1896-1898 - S. Miller

1898-1899 - Isaac Noyk

1899-1900 - A. Robinson

1900-1901 - J. Davies

1901-1902 - W. Mendelson

1902-1919 - H. Davies

1919-1925 - J. Woolfson

1925-1927 - J. Davies

Vice President

1900-1901 - L. Hershman

Treasurers

1896-1898 - M. Cormick

1898-1899 - Isaac Noyk

1899-1900 - A. Stein

1900-1901 - A. Michaelson

Hon. Secretaries

1896-1898 - S. Robinson

1898-1899 - A. Robinson

1899-1900 - M. Konigsberg

Membership Data:

Number of Seatholders - Jewish Year Books^(xi)

1896 - 45

1898 - 35

1900 - 40

Cemetery Data:

See Dublin Jewish Cemeteries Information on the Dublin home page.

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

(i) Jewish Chronicle of 4 October 1918. ↵

(ii) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from 1897/98. However, the first Jewish Year Book (1896/97) gives the address as 1 Oakfield Place. Although the congregation could have moved its address in the mid 1990s, it is more probable that the earlier address was an error. ↵

(iii) The Jews of Ireland by Louis Hyman, p.165. ↵

(iv) Based upon the congregation's last appearance in the Jewish Year Book 1927. It had been listed in all previous editions since the first publication (1896/7). ↵

(v) The Jews of Ireland by Louis Hyman, p.199. To view a short profile of a Rev. Rabinovitz - hold the cursor over his name. ↵

(vi) and (vii) Reserved.

(viii) Jewish Chroniclle report of 4 April 1919. The other congregations were:
the Dublin Hebrew Congregation, the United Hebrew Congregation, the Chevra Tehilim Congregation (Lombard Street Synagogue), Lennox Street Synagogue and St. Kevins Parade Synagogue. ↵

(ix) Jewish Chronicle obituary 11 April 1969. Rev. Roith was not listed in Jewish Year Books with regard to this congregation. To view a short profile of a Rev. Roith - hold the cursor over his name. ↵

(x) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. Initially year books corresponded to the Hebrew year, and thus ran roughly from autumn of one year - the year of publication - until autumn of the next year. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1919 through 1924, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1918 and continued in office until 1924. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. ↵

(xi) As listed in the Jewish Year Book for the relevant year. ↵

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Congregation

On Third Party websites

Oakfield Place Synagogue - blog by Patrick Comerford, no. 7 from his Synagogues of Dublin series (full list), 4 October 2019.

Dublin Jewish Community home page

JCR-UK Ireland home page

Page created: 13 June 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 2 November 2022
Page most recently amended: 13 December 2022

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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