Woolwich and District Synagogue

                                                          © Leslie Bailey 2008
 The former Woolwich & District Synagogue, Anglesea Road
(a Pentcostal Church since 2005)
Reproduced with kind permission of Leslie Bailey

Current Name:

Woolwich & District Synagogue

Former Name:

Woolwich & Plumstead Synagogue (from 1913 to about 1960)

Addresses:

From 1925 until 1998, the Synagogue was in Anglesea Road, Woolwich, London S.E.18.

The building was formerly St Andrew's Presbyterian church. In 1964, a new purpose-built synagogue was constructed on the site. The Foundation Stone was laid on 18 March 1962 (photograph on the right) and is still extant.

Prior to 1925, the Synagogue was at 28 Beresford Street, Woolwich, S.E.18. from 1913.

Formation

Formed in about 1913 from merger of:

Woolwich Hebrew Congregation
formed 1892

Services initially held in various halls and houses in Parsons Hills (a former Welsh Chapel used from 1906), Plumstead Road, Woolwich New Road (Assembly Hall), and Beresford Street (Drill Hall).

There had been at least two earlier attempts to establish a permanent synagogue at Woolwich, which, in spite of considerable sacrifices on the part of some of the older inhabitants, ended in loss and dissension.

Plumstead Hebrew Congregation
formed sometime prior to 1910

Current Status:

Closed - 1998

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

An affiliated synagogue and later constituent synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues.

Membership Data:

1905  -   41 members (Woolwich Congregation only) (source)

Source: Jewish Year Book 1906

1915  -   83 members (source)

Source: Jewish Year Book 1906

Local Government District:

Woolwich and Plumstead are situated south of the river Thames in east London and are in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London.

Previously, both areas were part of former Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, formed in 1900 within the former County of London (formed in 1889).

Prior to 1889, the areas were within the County of Kent.

Registration Districts:

From 1 July 1868 - Woolwich
Since 1 October 1983 - Greenwich (which now holds the registers)