the former

Falkirk Synagogue

Falkirk, Scotland

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

Town of Falkirk

The Scottish town of Falkirk is situated near the western end of the Firth of Forth, between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Since 1975, Falkirk has been in the District of Falkirk, a unitary authority since 1996, but prior to then one of the three districts of the now defunct Central Region. Prior to 1975, Falkirk was situated within the traditional county of Stirlingshire.

Falkirk Jewish Community

The tiny Falkirk Jewish community, never more than a few dozen souls, only had a resident minister before the World War I, although it maintained Hebrew classes and a small synagogue.⁽ⁱ⁾

Congregation Data
Name:	Falkirk Hebrew Congregation
Address:	The last address of the congregation's synagogue was in Glebe Street, Falkirk, from 1946 to 1947.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ Previously, the synagogue was in High Street, Falkirk from about 1925, and earlier was believed to have been in Sword's Wynd round about World War I.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Date Founded:	Although the congregation and community was not listed in Jewish Year Books until 1917, according to Jewish Year Book 1945/6, the community was founded in 1826.
Status:	Defunct since about 1946.^(iv)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	None, but the congregation would have been under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.
Readers: (To view a short profile of a reader - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. Gershon Spilg - early minister, dates not known ^(x) Rev. S. Garber - reader and shochet from about 1907.^(xi) Rev. B. Finkelstein - reader prior to 1914.^(xii) Rev. J. Chazan - reader about 1916^(xiii) Rev. Abraham Samet - reader about 1917.^(xiv)
Secretary:	The following is the only officer of the congregation listed any Jewish Year Book: A. Bulbin - secretary from at least 1917 to at least 1940^(xv)
Cemetery Information:	There is no known Jewish cemetery in Falkirk.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Aspects of Scottish Jewry by Kenneth Collins, 1987, p.39. ↵ (ii) A Communist Revival in Falkirk by Jackie Taylor, Edinburgh Star No 35, July 2000. ↵ (iii) Scottish Jewish Archives Centre website. ↵ (iv) The congregation was last listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵ (v) to (ix) Reserved. (x) Scottish Jewish Archives Centre website. ↵ (xi) Jewish Chronicle report. ↵ (xii) Referred to having previously been in Falkirk in Jewish Chronicle report of 11 September 1914. ↵ (xiii) Referred to as being in Falkirk in Jewish Chronicle report of 14 January 1916. ↵ (xiv) Appointed minister on 29 May 1917 (Michael Jolles's Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Chazanim, etc (2021), p.751). ↵ (xv) Listed as secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1917 through 1940. ↵

Search the All-UK Database

The records in the database associated with Falkirk include:

1851 Anglo Jewry Database (updated 2016)

Individuals in the 1851 Anglo Jewry Database who were living in Falkirk during the 1850s (1 record).

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to the Falkirk Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Falkirk Jewish Community 1913 -1999.

Bibliography:

Aspects of Scottish Jewry by Dr. Kenneth E. Collins (1987).

Caledonian Jews - A Study of Seven Small Communities in Scotland by Nathan Abrams (2009).

other Scottish bibliography.

on Third Party websites

"Falkirk Jewish Community" on Scottish Jewish Archives Centre website.

Falkirk Jewish Population Data

1911

about 70

(Scottish Jewish Archives Centre website)

1945

62

(The Jewish Year Book 1945/46)

Jewish Communities and Congregations in Scotland home page

Page created: 7 July 2003
Latest revision or update: 29 October 2021

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