Brondesbury Park Synagogue

Name:

Brondesbury Park Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ (commonly referred to as Bpark Shul)

Previous Names:

Harlesden Hebrew Congregation, the first name, until to about 1931⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

West Willesden Hebrew Congregation, from about 1931 until 1934^(iv)

Willesden District Synagogue, from 1934 until 1939^(v)

Willesden Synagogue, from 1939 until 1974^(vi)

Willesden and Brondesbury Synagogue , from 1974 until about 2004^(vii)

Brondesbury Synagogue, from about 2004 until about 2009^(viii)

143 Brondesbury Park, London NW2 5JL^(xi)

The congregation moved to the Brondesbury Park synagogue in 1939. The synagogue, designed by German-born architect, Fritz Landauer, in collaboration with Wills and Kaula, had been constructed by the Willesden Green Federation Synagogue on land acquired by them and had initially fronted Heathfield Park (at number 17). When the Federation synagogue was dissolved due to financial difficulty and merged into the congregation, the congregation took over the the synagogue, which it enlarged and the main entrance was moved from Heathfield Park to Brondesbury Park.^(xii)

Unfortunately, by the 1990s the Jewish community in the Willesden area had substantially dwindled and the congregation (which by now was the last synagogue in a area that had once boasted six synagogues and a number of shteibels) could no longer maintain the large synagogue. It accordingly moved to what had been the communal hall (still fronting Brondesbury Park),^(xiii) which had been redesigned as a synagogue, and the main synagogue building at the rear (with access from Heathfield Park) was sold off.

The synagogue is home to a number of stained glass windows created by David Hillman, relocated from the defunct Cricklewood Synagogue.^(xiv)

However, the twenty-first century has seen a revival in the fortunes of the congregation, with many Jewish families (particularly young professionals) moving into the area. In March 2022, following a major redevelopment of the site, a newly-designed synagogue was opened and rededicated by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.^(xv)

College Road, Kensal Rise, London NW10 (from 1934 until 1939)^(xvi)

This plot, on the corner of Herbert Gardens, had been acquired by the congregation, then known as West Willesden Hebrew Congregation, and by the end of 1933 the United Synagogue's architect had presented plans for a synagogue. The foundation stone for the new synagogue (for a communal hall to seat 500 and classrooms) was laid on Sunday, 13 May 1934, in the presence of Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz, with the service conducted by Dayan Harris M. Lazarus and Rev. Aron Elfand, both from neighbouring Brondesbury Synagogue, and the  building was opened in September 1934.^(xviii)

However, it was clear from the start that the new synagogue was too small for the congregation's needs and there was no room for expansion. In addition, the bulk of the membership was not coming from the neighbourhood in which the synagogue was situated, but from the newly-built estates in Willesden Green. Although a new site was acquired in Dobree Avenue, before plans could be put into operation, then almost ready-made Willesden Green Federation synagogue became available, in an ideal location (see above).^(xix)

The College Road premises reverted to the United Synagogue and were initially rented out for use as a wholesale warehouse and then sold. The building was eventually demolished and a public house built on the site.^(xx)

For earlier addresses see under Formation (below).

Formation and Early addresses:

Jews began to move into the general Willesden area in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. At the time, Willesden was considered as being "in the country".^(xxi) However, there was no organised congregation in the neighborhood until 1905, when Brondesbury Synagogue was established. This served the general vicinity, encompassing Brondesbury, Willesden, Willesden Green, Cricklewood, Dollis Hill, Gladstone Park, Kensal Rise, Kilburn and Harlesden, until 1923, when it was joined by Willesden Green and Cricklewood Synagogue (which later became Cricklewood Synagogue).  Other congregations followed, as the number of Jewish residents increased.

In about 1926 a minyan was established on a regular basis at the home of Samuel Weinstein in Stonebridge Park, Harlesden, which, after about two years, it had outgrown and moved to a Scout Hut in the grounds of of  the Jesus and Mary Convent  in Crownhill Road, Harlesden. At this stage the congregation was known as the Harlesden Hebrew Congregation (and Talmud Torah).^(xxii) After a couple or more years, in the early 1930s, the congregation moved and held temporary services at Park View College, which was hired for Saturday mornings and evenings.^(xxv) By 1931, the congregation, which joined the United Synagogue as an affiliated synagogue, was known as West Willesden Hebrew Congregation.^(xxvi)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

A affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1931, becoming a district synagogue in 1934 and a constituent synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1939.^(xxvii)

Mergers and Consolidation:

In 1939, the Willesden Green Federation Synagogue, which owned the land at Heathfield Park, was incorporated into the congregation.

In 1974, when the Brondesbury Synagogue closed, many of its members transferred to the congregation, which was renamed  the Willesden and Brondesbury Synagogue.

In 1988, membership increased on closure of the Ohel Shem (Federation) Synagogue.

Website:

https://www.bpark.org (as of December 2025, under construction)

Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister or reader whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rev. (later Rabbi) Mark Spira - minister from 1935 until 1968^(xxxi)

Rabbi Dr Abraham Melinek - minister from 1969 until 1977^(xxxii)

Rabbi Dr Harry Rabinowicz - regional minister from 1977 until 1988, then minister until 1991^(xxxiii)

Rabbi Baruch Levin and Rebbetzen Kezi Levin - rabbinic couple from 2004 until present (December 2025)^(xxxiv)

Readers:

Rev. Abraham P. Behrman - reader from 1939 until 1947^(xxxviii)

Rev. Pinchas Chaim E. Faigenblum - reader from 1947 until 1959^(xxxix)

Rev. Judah Landenberg - reader from 1959 until retirement in 1990, and thereafter as part-time unofficial reader until about 1999^(xl)

Rabbi J. Butler - reader in 2000/1^(xli)

Lay Officers:

Wardens, 1933-1994, click HERE.^(xliv)

Financial Representatives, 1933-1994, click HERE.

President 1933-1935 -  A. Stockley^(xlv)

Vice President 1933-1935 -  N. Corgan^(xlv)

Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries^(xlvi)

1933 - J. Winston, LLB

1933-1943 - Rev. Mark Spira 

1943-1945 - A. Hizer

1945-1947 - E. Neumann

1947-1979 - Bernard Frey

1980-1981 - H. Myers

1981-1989 - Mrs Elvira Ferdinand

1989-2005 - Mrs Jacqueline Questle

Membership Data:

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

1931	1940	1950	1960	1970
51	281	274	713	543

National Reports & Surveys^(xlviii)

1977 - 543 male (or household) members and 319 female members

1983 - 375 male (or household) members and 279 female members

1990 - 410 members (comprising 372 households, 4 individual male and 34 individual female members)

1996 - 292 members (comprising 243 households, 19 individual male and 30 individual female members)

2010 and 2016 - listed as having 300 to 399 members (by household)

Charitable Status:

Local Government Districts:

Willesden and Brondesbury are in the London Borough of Brent, within the administrative area of Greater London, both of which entities were established on 1 April 1965.^(xlix)

Previously, they were in the former Municipal Borough of Willesden (incorporated as a borough in 1933, previously the Urban District of Willesden from 1894) in the former County of Middlesex, which entities were abolished in 1965.

Worship Registration:

The synagogue in Brondesbury Park is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 58959 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(l)

Cemetery
Information:

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