the former

Chiswick & District Affilaited Synagogue

Chiswick, London W4

JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities
and congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

The former Synagogue in Barrowgate Road, Chiswick
(courtesy Steven Jaffe)

Congregation Data

Name:

Chiswick & District Affiliated Synagogue⁽ⁱ⁾

Previously known as Chiswick Hebrew Congregation, until 1957⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Address

64 Barrowgate Road, Chiswick, London W4, from about 1960.

The building, originally a large private house, was acquired in 1959, for which planning permission was granted for use as a synagogue, Hebrew classes, and communal centre.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Previously, services were presumably held in members' homes, and the High Holy Days services were held in Chiswick Town Hall, London W.4. (at least in 1954 and 1955).^(iv)

Formation:

The congregation was formed following a meeting held in early June 1954,^(vii) and held its first High Holy Day services in September 1954.^(viii)

Status:

The congregation closed in 1977 owing to falling membership and "lack of interest".^(ix) Remaining members transferred to Hammersmith & West Kensington Synagogue.

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

The congregation joined the United Synagogue as an affiliated synagogue in 1957, and remained an affiliated synagogue until its closure.^(x)

Readers and Ministers:
(To view a short profile - hold the cursor over the name in blue.)

Rev. David Wolfson - reader from at least 1958 until no later than 1968^(xiv)

Rev. H. Daviest - minister from about 1969 until about 1970^(xv)

Rev. David Katanka - reader from 1970 until 1972^(xvi)

Lay Officers:

Various Hon. Officers^(xx)

Elected at the First AGM, November 1955^(xxi)

Chairman - J. Gaffin; Treasurer - R.S. Springer

Hon. Secretaries^(xxii)

1954-1955 - H. Silverman^(xxiii)

1955-1964 - S. Richmond^(xxiv)

1964-1968 - M. Kingsley

1968-1970 - H. Goldstein

1970-1971 - P. Klein

1971-1977 - R. Hayman

Membership Data:

United Synagogue^(xxvii) (male seat-holders)

1957

1960

1970

42

95

53

National Reports & Surveys^(xxviii)

1977 - 32 male (or household) members and 16 female members

Local Government Districts:

Since 1965, the west London suburb of Chiswick has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow,^(xxix) within the administrative area of Greater London.

Previously, it was within the former Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswich (incorporated as a borough in 1933) in the former county of Middlesex, both of which entities were abolished in 1965.

Registration District (BMD):

Hounslow from 1 April 1965^(xxx) - Link to Register Office website

Worship Registration:

The congregation's synagogue was registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 67866 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.

Cemetery
Information:

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

Plaque on the house at 51 Barrowgate Road
(opposite the former synagogue),
where comedian Tommy Cooper lived from 1955 to 1984
(photograph courtesy Steven Jaffe)

Online Articles, Bibliography and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Congregation, 1954-1977

on Third Party Websites

Catalogue GB 0074 ACC/2712/CWS on AIM25 website - Catalogue of the records of the congregation (1956-1977), consisting of administrative papers including Board of Management minutes, financial records and a ketuba register deposited with the London Archives (formerly the London Metropolitan Archives).

Notable Local Jewish Residents
or Former Members of this Congregation

Councillor Stanley M. Atkins, the Mayor of Hammersmith in 1964, was president of the Chiswick synagogue.
Jeremy Isaacs, born in Glasgow, was living in Chiswick when in 1965, while still in his early 30s, he was appointed editor of BBC's Panorama programme.
Pamela Manson, actress and Equity activist, originally from Leeds, lived in Chiswick.

Other Notable Jewish Associations with Chiswick

Chiswick was the location of two residential homes for Jewish children:
- The Samuel and Myer Home was named after Hon. Gerald Samuel, son of the first Lord Bearsted, and Denzil Myer. Both were killed in World War I and left legacies enabling a small home to be established for Jewish boys who were otherwise deprived of a normal home life. Originally in central London, near Trafalgar Square, during World War II the home moved to Chiswick where it remained until its closure by the Board of Guardians in about 1954.
- Mulberry House was also located in Chiswick. It provided a family home for (in 1959) 14 school children of secondary school age. The purpose of the home was to enable brothers and sisters to be together. Located on Barrowgate Road (at the junction with Sutton Court road), it was close to Chiswick synagogue which hosted bar mitzvahs and put on a kiddush for boys from the home. The home was run by the Jewish Welfare Board and in 1966 it was described as a Norwood home. In 1971 the property was advertised for sale at the direction of the Charity Commissioners.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) The congregation appeared under this name in all editions of the Jewish Year Book. ↵

(ii) This was the name given for the congregation in Jewish Chronicle press reports of 10 September 1954 and 18 November 1955, presumably used until the congregation became affiliated to the United Synagogue. ↵

(iii) Jewish Chronicle press report of 20 March 1959. This was the registered address from at least 1960, based on the congregation's archived records - catalogue number GB 0074 ACC/2712/CWS on the AIM25 (Archives Inside the M25) website ("AIM25 catalogue description"). It was not listed as the congregations address in Jewish Year Books until 1973, ↵

(iv) Jewish Chronicle press reports of 10 September 1954 and 9 September 1955. ↵

(v) to (vi) Reserved.

(vii) Jewish Chronicle press report of 28 May 1954. ↵

(viii) Jewish Chronicle press report of 10 September 1954. ↵

(ix) Jewish Chronicle press report of 29 July 1977. The congregation was last listed in the Jewish Year Book 1977. ↵

(x) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p. 222. The congregation was at all times listed in Jewish Year Books as an affiliated synagogue. ↵

(xi) to (xiii) Reserved.

(xiv) Earliest Jewish Chronicle reference placing Rev. Wolfson at Chiswick is 22 February 1959, and as there is no indication that he recently arrived, it is assumed he joined in or before 1958. The Jewish Chronicle of 23 June 1967 places him in Chiswick and of 4 October 1968 places him at Upton Park Synagogue. He was listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1962 through 1968. ↵

(xv) Based upon Rev. Daviest's listing as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1970. ↵

(xvi) "Kol Dodi" (2015) - Selection of articles by Rabbi David Katanka edited by his son Rabbi Moshe Borach Katanka, p.252. The Jewish Chronicle of 14 July 1972 referred to him as minister-reader at Chiswick Synagogue for the past two years. He was not listed in Jewish Year Books with regard to this congregation. The congregation advertised for a part-time minister after 1972, but there is no indication that anyone was appointed. ↵

(xvii) to (xix)

(xx) From the formation of the congregation, Jewish Year Books did not list officers other than the hon secretary. ↵

(xxi) Jewish Chronicle press report of 18 November 1955. ↵

(xxii) Unless otherwise stated, the data listed here has been extracted from Jewish Year Books. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers during this period (other than secretary). Where a person is first listed in a year book as hon secretary of the congregation, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book (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 (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1965 through 1968, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1964 and continued in office until 1968). 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. ↵

(xxiii) Referred to as hon. secretary in Jewish Chronicle press reports of 28 May 1954 and 10 September 1954. ↵

(xxiv) Elected hon. secretary at the 1955 AGM (Jewish Chronicle press report of 18 November 1955), he was also listed as hon. in Jewish Year Books 1958 through 1964. ↵

(xxv) and (xxvi)

(xxvii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p. 220. ↵

(xxviii) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by or on behalf of 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. ↵

(xxix) The London Borough of Houslow, an Outer London Borough, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick, the Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth and the Urban District of Feltham. All areas had been within the former County of Middlesex. ↵

(xxx) The former Registration Districts were Brentford, from 1 July 1837 until 1 October 1947, and Ealing, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hounslow

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 31 October 2006
Notes first added: 24 January 2018
Page reformatted and data significantly expanded : 24 October 2025
Page most recently amended: 30 October 2025

Research by David Shulman and Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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