JCR-UK

the former

Dalston Synagogue

Poet's Road

London N5 (previously N1)

 

 


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

Dalston Synagogue
Dalston Synagogue, following closure
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Congregation Data

Name:

Dalston Synagogue

Last Address:

Poet's Road, Canonbury, London N.5  (from 1884)
A 99 year lease of the plot was purchased in 1884 for £650 (with an option to purchase the freehold for £1,100) and the synagogue was built, together with a minister's residence, for £7,000.(ii)

In July 1885, the last stone of the building - the crowning stone of the Aron Kodesh -was formally laid by Mr. Samuel Montague (later Lord Swaythling) at a special service conducted by Rev. Dr. Herman Adler, Delegate Chief Rabbi, and Rev. Marcus Hast, Chief Chazan of the Great Synagogue, supported by enormous choir made up of members of several synagogues.(ii)

Former Addresses:

1874-1876 -Two rooms in Colveston House, Birbeck Road, London E.8 (the second, a spacious conservatory, was used for the accommodation of ladies).(iii)

1876-1884 - 120 Mildmay Road, Kingsland, London N.1. The building, of corrugated iron with interior walls of varnished pine, was constructed within five weeks at the cost of £500.(iv)

(Note: neither of these addresses were actually in Dalston.)

Date Founded:

The congregation was founded on 3 May 1874, when a meeting was held to establish a congregation in Dalston.(v)

The congregation faced opposition from the neighbouring North London Synagogue, which intensified when the congregation took the Mildmay Road premises, as it feared the establishment of a congregation in the area close to its own catchment area, would cause a reduction in its membership and thus threaten its financial stability.(vi)

Status:

Closed - amalgamated in 1967 with Stoke Newington Synagogue (whose predecessor congregation, the New Dalston Synagogue, had been formed in a secession from the Dalston Synagogue in the 1880's)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

A constituent synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1885 until its closure.(vii)

Newsletter or Magazine:

Synagogue Review - South Hackney & Dalston (see below)

Secessionist Congregation:

In 1887, several members, who objected to a slight modification in the order of service proposed by the Chief Rabbi, broke away to form a new congregation, the New Dalston Synagogue in Sandringham Road, which developed into the Stoke Newington Synagogue.(viii)

Earlier Congregation:

Clephane Road Congregation - In the early 1870s, a small group of Jewish residents of Canonbury, lead by Marks Manus(ix), formed a congregation worshiping in a house in Clephane Road. In the winter of 1874, the members of this congregation joined the Dalston Synagogue.(x)

Incorporated Congregation:

North London Synagogue - 1958

Ministers:

(To view a short profile of a minister or reader - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rev. Michael Henry Myers - from 1874 until March 1885(xv)

Rev. Hermann Gollancz - from 1885 until 1892(xvi)

Rabbi Moses Hyamson - from December 1892 until April 1902(xvii)

Rev. David Wasserzug - from 1903 until 1918(xviii)

Rev. (later Rabbi) Samuel Gross - from 1920 until 1924(xix)

Rev. (later Rabbi Dr.) Joseph Rabbinowitz - from 1925 until 1958,(xx) and thereafter emeritus

Rabbi Isaac Newman - from 1958 until 1967(xxi)

Chazans / Readers:

Rev. Jacob Lesser   - from 1875 until March 1906(xxv)

Rev. Philip Fassenfeld - from early 1907 until June 1936(xxvi)

Rev. Jacob Koussevitzky - from about 1936 until about 1948(xxvii)

Rev. Samuel Baruch Taub - from about 1948 until about 1950(xxviii) 

Rev. Jacob (Jack) Sherman - from about 1951 until 1967(xxix)

Lay Officers:

The data set out below, as regards the period until 1910, has generally been taken from The Dalston Synagogue - An Historical Sketch by Rev. D. Wasserzug (1910).(xxxiv) For the period since 1910, this has been extracted from Jewish Year Books.(xxxv)

Presidents(xxxvi)

1874-1878 - Elias Cohen

1878-1885 - Freeman Cohen

Vice Presidents(xxxvi)

1874-1876 - Isaac Isaacson

1876-1878 - Simeon Goldman

1878-1881 - Marks Manus

1881-1885 - Moses A. Rozelaar

Wardens(xxxvii)

1885-1887 - Freeman Cohen

1885-1893 - Moses A. Rozelaar

1887-1891 - Marks Kruszinski

1891-1895 - Simon Simons

1893-1896 - Samuel Hess

1895-1900 - Wolfe Isaacs

1896-1904 - Joseph Birn

1900-1905 - Philip Josephs

1904-1915 - Abraham Lewis

1905-1908 - Bernard Loewenstein

1908-1923 - Ludwig Felsenstein

1915-1936 - Isaac Landau

1923-1924 - Ascher L. Sions

1924-1925 - D. Abrahams

1925-1928 - C. Orgel

1928-1940 - A. Lissack

1936-1937 - A.I. Bard

1937-1940 - F.S. Cohen

1928-1940 - A. Lissack

1940-1945 - war years (no data)

1945-1947 - J.W. Jackson

1945-1947 - J. Ofstein

1947-1955 - A. Lissack

1947-1950 - A. Goodman

1950-1954 - J. Ofstein

1955-1956 - Arnold Hertzberg

1955-1956 - J. Rosner

Treasurers / Financial Representatives(xxxviii)

1874-1876 - Jacob Vandenberg

1875-1878 - Moses A. Rozelaar

1878-1881 - Morris Van Thal

1881-1883 - Philip Lewey

1883-1887 - Marks Kruszinski

1885-1891 - Simon Simons

1891-1895 - Joseph William Berg

1895-1905 - Alfred Moss Posener

1905-1910 - M. Drukker

1910-1915 - Isaac Landau

1915-1916 - Montie P. Jacobs

1916-1917 - Montie P. Arnold

1917-1923 - Ascher L. Sions

1923-1928 - S. Spanjer

1928-1930 - D. Weitzman,BA

1930-1933 - S. Spanjer

1933-1936 - D. Abrahams

1936-1940 - J. Ofstein

1940-1945 - war year (no data)

1945-1955 - Arnold Hertzberg

1955-1956 - J.J. Weisfogel

Hon. Secretaries

1874-1876 - Morris Duparc

1876-1902 - post generally held by minister

1902-1919 - Isaac Goldston

1919-1950 - C. Littman(xxxix)

1950-1951 - L. Stern

1951-1953 - M. Sinclair

1953-1965 - D. Birnbaum

1965-1966 - G. Leigh

1966-1967 - E.D. Sugarman

 

Beth Hamedrash:

From about 1913 until World War II, there was a separate Beth Hamedrash operating within the congregation, with its own officers, as set out below:(xliv)

Wardens

1913-1931 - Ludwig Felsenstein

1913-1931 - A. Blumenthal

1931-1940 - F.S. Cohen

1931-1940 - S. Hertzberg

Treasurer

1931-1940 - M. Levinsky

Hon. Secretaries

1913-1919 - A.A. Felsenstein

1919-1920 - J. Cohen

1920-1921 - P. Marovitch

1921-1922 - no data

1922-1925 - J. Solomons

1925-1940 - S. Rosen, BSc

Membership Data:

United Synagogue (male seat-holders)(xlv)

1885

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

208

269

365

368

340

355

306

402

463

Also see below for seatholder records on All-UK Database.

Hebrew & Religious Classes:

The Hebrew and Religious Classes had been established in the early days of the congregation by Rev. M.H. 

In 1895, a Committee of Education was elected to reorganised the classes on a self-supporting basis for the children of the district and the reorganised classes were opened on 23 February 1896. The initial chairman of the committee and hon. superintendent of the classes was Waldemar Benscher and the initial treasurer was Herman H. Oppenheimer.(xlvi)

Due to the lack of adequate space, an addition was made to the synagogue building to provide for classrooms and this structure was completed at the cost of £650 and consecrated by the Chief Rabbi on 11 April 1897.(xlvi)

In about 1901, Isaac Goldston, AKC was appointed headmaster of the classes, retaining such position until at least 1918.(xlvii)

The following are details of the number of pupils enrolled in the clases for the relevant years:(xlviii)

1896

1897

1900

1902

1903

1904

1909

1910

1911

1912

36

92

100

110

105

130

112

118

112

108

 

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1923

110

102

110

120

100

90

120

130

144

161

Local Government District:

Both Poet's Road and Mildmay Road, the addresses where the Synagogue had been situated, are actually just outside Dalston proper (and were in Canonbury and Kingsland) and are within the London Borough of Islington (whereas Dalston proper is in the London Borough of Hackney). Formerly (until 1 April 1965) they were in the somewhat smaller former Metropolitan Borough of Islington (established in 1900, conterminous with the pre-existing parish of Islington), within the former County of London (established in 1899). Prior to 1899, the parish of Islington was in the former County of Middlesex.

Registration District (BMD):

Islington (since formation of congregation) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery Information:

For United Synagogue cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the United Synagogue.

Notes & Sources - In light of the large number of notes, these now appear towards the foot of this page, instead of the foot of this box. However, the note can also still be viewed in a pop-up box when the cursor is held over the note number.


Former Ministers and Officers of Dalston Synagogue
Leading 19th Century Ministers & Officers of the Congregation
Please click on photo to see a larger image
(Reproduced from Dalston Synagogue, An Historical Sketch by D. Wasserzug, 1910)

 

Search the All-UK Database

The records in the database specifically associated with the Dalston Synagogue include:

Seatholders Lists

1899 (419 records);
1910 (419 records);
1933 (392 records)..

For a list of other London records in the Database that may also include records associated with this congregation, click here.
 


Dalston Synagogue
Interior of former Dalston Synagogue
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Bibliography, On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

  •  Synagogue Review (South Hackney & Dalston) - Vol.2 No.5 (December 1930), kindly contributed by Mr. Lewis H Glinert, whose parents were members of the Hackney Synagogue.

  • Selected Bibliography:

    • The Dalston Synagogue - An Historical Sketch by Rev.D. Wasserzug (1910), see below.

    • An Historical Sketch of the Dalston Synagogue 1885-1935 by J. Rabbinowitz (1935).

    • The Lost Synagogues of London by P. Renton (2000), pp. 95-99.

    • The Jewish Communities of Islington, 1730s-1880s by P. Laidlaw (2013) pp.72-87, 108-110.

    • Other Islington bibliography and sources.

On third party websites

 

Notes and Sources:
( returns to text above)

  • (i) Reserved.

  • (ii) The Dalston Synagogue - An Historical Sketch ("An Historic Sketch") by Rev. D. Wasswezug (1910), p.10.

  • (iii) An Historical Sketch, p.6.

  • (iv) An Historical Sketch, pp.8/9. When the congregation moved to Poet's Road, the old iron building was sold to South Hackney Synagogue for £80.

  • (v) An Historical Sketch, pp.5/6.

  • (vi) An Historical Sketch, pp.7/8. The congregation had originally proposed building its synagogue in the Newington Green Road, close to the Highbury New Park estate, and subsequently decided on Mildmay Road, neither of which was in Dalston.

  • (xii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p.221.

  • (viii) The Lost Synagogues of London ("Lost Synagogues") by Peter Renton, 2000, p.95.

  • (ix) Mr. Manus is later elected as the third vice-present of Dalston Synagogue, in 1878.

  • (x) The Jewish Communities of Islington 1730s-1880s by Petra Laidlaw, p.81 and An Historic Sketch, p.7.

  • (xi) to (xiv) Reserved.

  • (xv) An Historical Sketch, pp.9/10.

  • (xvi) An Historical Sketch, pp.10 & 13.

  • (xvii) An Historical Sketch, pp.13 & 17. Rev. (later Rabbi) Hyamson was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1896/7 (the first edition) through 1901/2.

  • (xviii) Appointment - An Historical Sketch, p.18. Death in office, Jewish Chronicle obituary of 20 December 1918. Rev. Wasserzug was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1903/4 through 1919.

  • (xix) Based upon Rev. (later Rabbi) Gross's listings as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1923 and 1924 and his Jewish Chronicle obituary 6 June 1924. He died in office at the age of 32.

  • (xx) Based upon Rev. (later Rabbi) Rabinowitz's listings as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1926 through 1958 and Jewish Chronicle obituary 19 December 1975.

  • (xxi) Based upon Rabbi Newman's listings as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1959 through 1966.

  • (xxii) to (xxiv) Reserved.

  • (xxv) An Historical Sketch, pp.9/10 & 18. Rev. Lesser (b. London 22 October 1833, d. March 1906) was listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1896/7 (the first edition) through 1905/6.

  • (xxvi) Jewish Chronical reports of 1 February 1907 and 27 May 1938. He was listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1907/8 through 1935, although there appears to have been a break in the early 1920s.

  • (xxvii) Based upon Rev. Koussevitzky's listings (under the spelling Kucewicki) as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1936 through 1940 and 1945/6 through 1948. There were no editions published in the war years 1940-45.

  • (xxviii) Also known as Bernhard Taub. Based upon Rev. B. Taube's listings as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1949 through 1951.

  • (xxix) Based upon Rev. Sherman's listings as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1952 through 1966.

  • (xxx) to (xxxiii) Reserved.

  • (xxxiv) Supplemental data has been extracted from Jewish Communities of Islington 1730s-1880s by Petra Laidlaw (2013), p.109.

  • (xxxv) Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant yearbook (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing the the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1938, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1934 and continued in office until 1938). However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and accordingly his actual years of office may differ slightly from those shown here. Jewish Year Books were not published during WWII subsequent to 1940. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956.

  • (xxxvi) There were no presidents or vice presidents appointed after 1885.

  • (xxxvii) There were generally two wardens in office at any one time.

  • (xxxviii) The office of "Treasurer" was replaced by "Financial Representative" with effect from 1885.

  • (xxxix) Although the Jewish Year Book was not published during the war years from 1940 to 1945, and thus there is no firm data covering that period, Mr. Littmanh was listed in Jewish Year Books as secretary of the congregation for many years prior to the war and in the five year books published immediately following the war, and it is therefore assume that he also held such position throughout the war years.

  • (xl) to (xliii) Reserved.

  • (xliv) Data extracted from Jewish Year Books. See note (xxxv) above.

  • (xlv) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 216/7.

  • (xlvi) An Historical Sketch, pp.15/16.

  • (xlvii) Based upon Mr. Goldston's listing as headmaster in Jewish Year Books 1902/t through 1918.

  • (xlviii) The first two figures are from An Historical Sketch, p.16 and the remainder are from Jewish Year Books for the relevant years.

 

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Islington

Jewish Congregations in Greater London (other than East End)

Greater London home page


Page created: 6 September 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 19 December 2020
Page most recently amended: 15 July 2021

Formatting and research by David Shulman


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