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JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and
congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.
NOTE: We are not the official website for this community.
Borough of Southend-on-Sea
The seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea (which also includes the towns of
Westcliff-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea) is in southeast England, lying on the
northern shore of the Thames estuary, and has a population of nearly 160,000.
It was a county borough from 1914, until 1974, when it became a local government
district (later borough) of the county of Essex. In 1998, it became a
unitary authority, taking over those responsibilities previously exercised by the
county council, and on 1 March 2022 it was granted city status.
The Southend-on-Sea Jewish Community
(including Westcliff-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea)
The Southend Jewish community developed
at the end of the nineteenth century, primarily from London's East End, many of
the Jewish residents settling in Westcliff-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea.
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Jewish Congregations
The following are the Jewish congregations that exist or existed in Southend-on-Sea:
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* An active congregation.
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The Southend Orthodox Jewish Cemetery Database
SEARCH
This database, affiliated to JCR-UK, contain records of approximate
2,600 burials, each with a photograph of the headstone, at the Southend
Orthodox Jewish Cemetery, Stock Road, Southend-on-Sea, opened 1962 and
covering all burials to date.
The All-UK Database
SEARCH
The records in the database associated with Southend-on-Sea include:
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Burials
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UK Jewish Communal Leaders Database
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1851 Anglo Jewry Database, including
Leigh-on-Sea and Rochford (3 miles to the north) (updated 2016)
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Individuals in the
1851 Anglo Jewry Database
who were living in:
Leigh-on-Sea during the
1810s (4 records), 1820s (15 records) and 1830s (10 records);
Rochford during the
1770s (1 record), 1780s (1 record), 1800s (1 record), 1820s (2 records) and 1860s (1 record); and
Southend-on-Sea during the
1790s (1 record).
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Bibliography, Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Southend-on-Sea Jewish Community
on JCR-UK
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Other Southend Jewish Institutions & Organisations
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Educational & Theological
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Other Institutions & Organisations
(unless
otherwise stated, the year founded reflects the year first listed in
Jewish Year Books)
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Association of Jewish Youth (Southend branch) - founded by 1938
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Benos Zion Society (later Junior (or Young Zionist Society)
- founded by 1928
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Jewish Benevolent Society - founded by 1920
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Jewish Ladies Guild - founded by 1905
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Jewish Social, Literary and Dramatic Societies - existed under various names, first founded by 1905
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Jewish Study Circle - founded by 1928
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Jewish Youth Centre - affiliated to Southend &
Westcliff Hebrew Congregation. It was initially located in the
Alexandra Road Synagogue. In 1968, it relocated to the 38 Ceylon
Road, when these premises ceased being used as the congregation's
second synagogue, and remained there until 2001, when, as a result
of reduced numbers, it again
relocated, to the Talmud Torah in the congregation's Finchley Road building.(iv)
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Ladies Bikur Cholim - founded by 1902
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Mikveh - situated at 44 Genesta Road,
Westcliff-on Sea, SS0 8DA, about three minutes walk from SWHC.
First opened in October 1960 through the efforts of Rabbi Pinchas Shebson,
refurbished and re-opened in July 1984 and completely rebuilt and re-opened in
2013.(v)
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Myers Communal Hall, Westcliff - founded by 1972
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Pursuers of Peace Society - founded by 1912
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Raymond Home for Aged Jews, 6 Clifton Terrace, Southend - founded by 1972
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United Zionist Revisionists (Southend branch) - founded by 1949
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Victoria Oppenheimer Home for the Aged, 1 Cobham Road, Westcliff - founded by 1968
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Westcliff Eruv
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WIZO (Southend branch) - founded by 1953
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Zionist Society (Southend branch) - founded by 1953
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Cemetery Plaque
© Anne Marcus
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Jewish War Memorial
© Anne Marcus
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Southend-on-Sea Jewish Cemetery Information
There are two Jewish burial grounds in Southend:
Southend & Westcliff Jewish Cemetery, Stock Road, Sutton Road, Southend-on-Sea.
Following negotiations between Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation
(SWHC), the local Orthodox community, and Southend Borough Council, the
Orthodox Jewish cemetery was opened and consecrated at Stock Road, Southend-on-Sea in September 1962.
The site initially formed part of the Southend Borough Municipal Cemetery at Sutton Road, but this new exclusive cemetery was fenced off from the general cemetery with its own entrance
from Stock Road.
The cost of this project, a total of £25,000, was met entirely by members of the SWHC.
The land comprises a large central prayer hall which was gifted by the Feitelson Family, an observation room and a Tahara House.
On the site there is also a Memorial to the local Jews who lost their lives in the first and second World Wars.
The memorial was unveiled on 11 November 1962 and the service was attended by the Lord Mayor of London.
(courtesy Anne Marcus)
See above for the
Database, affiliated to JCR-UK, of the burials in this Orthodox Cemetery.
Reform Synagogue Section of the Southend Municipal
Cemetery, Sutton Road, Southen-on-Sea.
Opened in about 1980, the section consists of Block LL of the municipal
cemetery.
(For some additional information, also see
IAJGS Cemetery Project - Southend & Westcliff)
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Southend-on-Sea Jewish Population Data
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1934
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600 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1935) |
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1945
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1,500 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1945/6) |
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1950
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3,800 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1951) |
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1953
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3,500 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1954) |
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1967
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4,500 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1968) |
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1973
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5,000 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1974) |
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1986
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5,250 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1987) |
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1989
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6,000 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1990) |
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1991
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4,500 |
(The Jewish Year Book 1992) |
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2001
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2,721* |
(2001 Census results) |
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2011
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2,150* |
(2011 Census results) |
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2021
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2,237* |
(2021 Census results) |
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*The 2001, 2011 and 2021 census result figures represent those who
answered the voluntary question 'What is your religion?' by clicking the category
'Jewish' among the eight check-box
options (another of which was 'No religion'). However, between 6.0% to
7.7% of the population nationally did not answer the question and the
figure would not have included those who considered themselves Jews by
ethnicity but not by religion, and accordingly the actual number of Jews
would be higher than the figures shown.
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Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above) |
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Jewish Congregations in Essex
Jewish Communities of England home page
Page created: 1 August 2009
Latest revision or update: 12 December 2022
Explanation of Terms |
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