Loughton Synagogue

Loughton, Epping Forest, Essex

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Towns of Loughton and Chigwell

Loughton (population about 30,000) and Chigwell (population 12,000) are towns situated in the western region of the county of Essex in southeast England, just to the north of the administrative boundary of Greater London.

Since 1974, both towns have formed part of the local government district of Epping Forest. Loughton was a separate urban district from 1900 until 1933, and was then amalgamated with neighbouring local authorities and became part of the urban district of Chigwell until 1974.

Loughton Synagogue

The Jewish Community

In addition to the Loughton Synagogue (details below), there is a United Synagogue in Chigwell.

Congregation Data
Name:	Loughton Synagogue (since about 2001)⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Former Names:⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾	Loughton Jewish Congregation (until about 1952) Loughton & District Synagogue (from about 1952 until about 1963, except for about 1958 until about 1958, when the congregation may have been known Loughton District Synagogue) Loughton, Chigwell & District Synagogue (from about 1963 until about 2001)
Address:	Borders Lane, Loughton, Essex IG10 1TE, since at least 1977.^(iv)
Formation:	Founded in 1947.^(v)
Current Status:	Active.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	An affiliated synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues since at least 1952.^(vi)
Website:	https://www.loughtonsynagogue.co.uk
Ministers: (To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over the name.)	Rev. D. Toledano - minister from about 1966 until about 1975^(ix) Rev. Jonathan D. Lorraine - minister from about 1976 until 2007^(x) Rabbi Harvey Belovski - minister, alongside Rev. Lorraine, from 1997 until 2000^(xi) Rabbi Yaakov Aronovitz - minister from 2007 until about 2012^(xii) Rabbi Zvi Portnoy - minister from 2013 until 2019^(xiii) Rabbi Yanky Abrams & Rebbetzen Rochel Abrams - rabbinic couple from 2019 until present (September 2026)^(xiv)
Lay Officers of the Congregation:	All data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xix)
	Chairmen 1950-1951 - A. Bynes 1951-1953 - S. Freedman 1953-1954 - G.L. Bernstock 1955-1956 - I. Yeshin from 1956 - generally no data^(xx) Vice Chairman 1953-1955 - S. Yeshin Wardens 1953-1955 - S. Yeshin & J. Trainis Treasurers 1950-1954 - A. Rose 1954-1956 - A. Myers from 1956 - no data	Secretaries & Hon Secretaries 1949-1950 - L.J. Goldring 1950-1952 - L. Lewis 1952-1959 - H.W. Goldring 1959-1960 - Dr. M. Josephs 1960-1962 - R. Leader 1962-1963 - G. Gordon 1963-1964 - R. Leader 1964-1976 - G. Clive 1976-1994 - no data 1994-1995 - D.A. Viniker 1995-1998 - A. Fell 1999-2001 - D.A. Viniker
Membership Data:	Reports & Survey^(xxiii) 1977 - 150^(xxiv) male (or household) members and a small number of female members 1983 - 140 male (or household) members and 15 female members 1990 - 240 members (comprising 221 households and 19 individual female members) 1996 - 241 members (comprising 197 households, 21 individual male and 23 individual female members) 2010 - listed as having between 200 and 299 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having between 100 and 199 members (by household)
Charitable Status:	The congregation, under the name Loughton, Chigwell & District Synagogue, is a registered charity (no. 1188590), registered on 17 March 2020 (CIO registration).^(xxv)
Worship Registration:	The synagogue in Borders Lane is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 66950 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xxvi)
Cemetery Information:	For Federation cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Online Reports, Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

General

The trustees' reports and financial statements of Loughton, Chigwell & District Synagogue filed with the Charity Commission (pdf):
- for the years ended 31 December 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Other Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Educational & Theological

Hebrew and Religious Classes - probably from shortly following the establishment of the congregation

Other Institutions

Ladies Guild - founded by 1950^(xxx)
Youth Club - founded by 1953^(xxxi)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books from 2002. However, its charity registration is still under the name Loughton, Chigwell & District Synagogue. ↵
(iii) The names listed here reflect the names under which the congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books. The name Loughton District Synagogue was the name listed in the editions 1954 through 1958 and may have been as error as the term District Synagogue generally indicated a United Synagogue congregation. ↵
(iv) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from 1978 and remains the address as per the congregation's website, accessed September 2026. ↵
(v) The congregation's website, accessed September 2026. ↵
(vi) The congregation was first listed as affiliated to the Federation of Synagogues in the Jewish Year Book 1953. ↵
(vii) and (viii) Reserved.
(ix) Based upon Rev. D. Toledano's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1967 through 1975. No further information currently available. ↵
(x) Online research. Rev. Lorraine was listed as minister of the congregation in all Jewish Year Books from 1978 through 2008, except 1999. ↵
(xi) Online research. Rabbi Belovski was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1999 through 2001 (in 2000 and 2001, jointly with Rev. J. Lorraine). ↵
(xii) Online research. Rabbi Aronovitz was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2009 through 2011. ↵
(xiii) Jewish Chronicle of 15 July 2019 reported Rabbi Portnoy's move to Hendon. Rabbi Zvi Portnoy was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 2014 and 2015 (the last edition). ↵
(xiv) The congregation's website, last accessed, September 2026. ↵
(xv) to (xviii) Reserved.
(xix) Where a person was 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 shown as vacant. 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 1952 through 1954, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1951 and continued in office until 1954. 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. Generally, there were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xx) Although the congregation's chairmen were not generally listed after 1956, the Jewish Year Book 1966 listed I. Yeshin as chairman. At this stage it is not known if he has also served as chairman during the intervening years (1956 to about 1965) or until when he stepped down. ↵
(xxi) and (xxii) Reserved.
(xxiii) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵
(xxiv) The online copy of this report is, in parts, unclear, and it is uncertain whether this figure is 150 or 250 (although it is extremely unlikely to be 350 or higher). ↵
(xxv) Charity Commission website, accessed September 2026. Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the charity's registration on the Charity Commission website. ↵
(xxvi) Page 531 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship. ↵
(xxvii) to (xxix) Reserved.
(xxx) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1951. ↵
(xxxi) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1954. ↵

Epping Forest Communities home page

List of Federation of Synagogues congregations

Jewish Communities in Essex

Communities in Greater London and its Outskirts

Jewish Communities of England homepage

Page created: 21 May 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 28 September 2026
Page most recently amended: 29 september 2026

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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