Machzike Hadath Synagogue

(formerly Spitalfields Great Synagogue)

London E.1. & London N.W.11.

Created 26 October 2006
Latest Update 16 December 2007

Congregation Data

Official Name:	Machzike Hadath Synagogue (or Machzike Adass Synagogue) [Translation - "Upholders of Faith"]
Alternative Name:	Spitalfields Great Synagogue (1898 to 1983)
Developed from:	Machzike Shomrei Shabbat Synagogue (prior to 1893)
Addresses:	3 (previously 1-4) Highfield Road, Golders Green, London NW11 9LU (from 1983) Services held at the home of Rabbi Simcha Lopian in Golders Green, London NW11. (from about 1956 to 1983) Prior to then, the Spitalfields Great Synagogue at 59 Brick Lane, Spitalfields, London E.1. (1898 to about 1956.) This building, constructed in 1742-3, began life as the Neuve Eglise, a Huguenot Church. It was used as a missionary centre in the early 1880's before becoming the main Wesleyan Methodist Chapel of East London, until its purchase by Machzike Hadath. Following its sale, in 1975 it became London Jamme Mashid, then the largest mosque in the East End, used primarily by the Bangladeshi community. Prior to then, in Booth Street, London E.1. (until 1898)
Formation:	Machzike Hadath was formed as a society by individual members of the North London Beth Hamedrash and the Machzike Shomrei Shabbat Synagogue (of Booth Street) . In February 1893, the Machzike Shomrei Shabbat Synagogue formally joined the society and adopted the name the Machzike Hadath Synagogue.
Current Status:	Active (in Golders Green)
Local Authority:	Now (Golders Green) in the London Borough of Barnet. (Congregations in the London Borough of Barnet) prior to 1983 in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Congregations the London Borough of Tower Hamlets - East End)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	Became affiliated to the Federation of Synagogues in 1905
Membership Data:	1905 - 215 members (Jewish Year Book 1906) 1915 - 325 members (Jewish Year Book 1916)

Other Information

Congregation History and Records
Photographs, Newspaper Articles and Personal Encounters
Bibliography:
- A Fortress of Anglo-Jewry. Homa, B. 1953 (Shapiro Valentine)
- Footprints on the Sands of Time. Homa, B. 1990
- The Lost Synagogues of London. pp. 171-172. Renton, P., 2000 (Tymsder Publications, London)
- The Synagogues of London. Lindsay, P. 1993 (Vallentine Mitchell) pp. 49-51
- The Jewish East End, Then and Now, pp. 28-9, Aumie and Michael Shapiro, 1994.
- Jewish Heritage in England, pp12-13. Sharman Kadish. 2006
- other Tower Hamlet sources
- Barnet sources
- other London sources
Cemetery Information:
- Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues

Other Greater London Congregations

Explanation of Terms Used

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