Independent Hebrew Congregation

Name

Independent Hebrew Congregation, Edinburgh

Address:

Lothian Street, Edinburgh

Formation:

By 1922⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Current Status:

Defunct, probably from mid or late 1920s⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Ritual:

Nominally Orthodox, but uncertain ritual

Affiliation:

None known.

Minister:

Alexander Levison was appointed minister of this congregation in May 1922, following which, The Jewish Chronicle warned that he required "close watching" in case he engaged in Christian conversionist activity directed at the Jewish community. He was the brother of a convert to Christianity who became founding president of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance and another brother was a minister of the United Free Church. Levison commenced an action against The Jewish Chronicle and Rabbi Dr Salis Daiches of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation, for defamation. The case centred around Levison's claim to be a qualified rabbi. In 1924 Levison's case collapsed as a result of forged documentation, which later went "missing", relating to his alleged semicha by Rab. Kook. The editor also questioned the effectiveness of validation procedures of the chief rabbi's office in London for ministerial appointments. Following the termination of his case, Levison left for America before a costs order could be made against him. Levison also served the Cork Hebrew Congregation for three months, although it is unclear whether this was before he arrived in Edinburgh or in the interim period after leaving Edinburgh but before his case collapsed.^(v)

Membership Data

No data.