the former

Addlestone & District Jewish Congregation

Addlestone, Surrey

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Town of Addlestone

The town of Addlestone is situated approximately five miles to the south-west of the administrative boundary of Greater London. It is now in the Borough of Runnymede, a local government district of the county of Surrey, formed in 1974 and subsequently granted borough status. Prior to 1974, it was part of in the Urban District of Chertsey (created 1894) in the county of Surrey.

Addlestone Jewish Community

The Jewish community in Addlestone was formed in the early 1940s, primarily by Jews evacuated from London during World War II. During this period a Jewish congregation was established, which, unlike most other evacuee congregations, was affiliated to the Federation of Synagogues. Following the end of the War, the community began to dwindle as many of the congregants' families had returned to London and ultimately, there were insufficient numbers to sustain an active congregation.

Congregation Data
Name:	Addlestone & District Jewish Congregation⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ (also known as Addlestone Jewish Congregation⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾)
Address:	Crouch Oak Lane (Baptist Church), Addlestone, Surrey ^(iv) Later (from about 1946) 10 Jubilee Crescent, Addlestone, Surrey.^(v)
Formation:	1941.^(viii)
Affiliation:	A former constituent of the Federation of Synagogues.^(ix)
Closure:	Closed after 1947.^(x)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi - Orthodox
Reader:	P. Stern - reader from at least 1945 to about 1947^(xiii)
Lay Officers:	There is currently no data on the officers of the congregation prior to 1945, except for the hon. secretary in 1941.^(xiv)
	President at least 1945-1947 - H. Cohen^(xv) Treasurer at least 1945-1947 - N. Mersky^(xvi) Wardens at least 1945-1946 - J. Donn & Dr. Philip Caplin^(xvii)	Hon. Secretaries 1941 - J. Koln^(xviii) at least 1945-1946 - J. Kohn^(xviii) 1946-1947 - S. Caplin^(xix)
Registration District (BMDs):	Surrey (since 4 August 2008)^(xxii) - Link to Register Office Website.
Cemetery Details	There is no Jewish cemetery in Addlestone For details of the cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Online Articles and Other Material relating to relating to
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Notable Jewish Connections with Addlestone

In 1941 the Bloom family, owners of Bloom's restaurant, then in Aldgate, in London's East End, purchased Roydon Lodge, Addlestone, both as a home and to offer temporary accomodation for young Jewish refugees from Nazi occupied Europe.

Other Addlestone Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Hebrew Classes, later referred to as the Talmud Torah - established in 1941^(xxiii)
Ladies Guild - established by 1945^(xxiv)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This name was adapted from the various Jewish Chronicle press releases relating to the congregation, each of which used a different name:- the Addlestone (Surrey) Jewish Congregation; the Jewish Congregation of Addlestone and District; the Addlestone and District Congregation; and the Addlestone Federated Synagogue. ↵
(iii) This was the name of the congregation listed in both Jewish Year Books in which the congregation was listed (1945/6 and 1947). ↵
(iv) Address given in the Jewish Chronicle report of 19 September 1941 and listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵
(v) Address listed in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵
(vi) and (vii) Reserved.
(viii) The Jewish Chronicle reports of 15 August 1941 and 19 September 1941 refer to the formation of the congregation. The Jewish Year Book 1947, gives the date of founding as 1940. This probably reflects the year when evacuation to Addlestone first took place as opposed to the establishment of the congregation. ↵
(ix) The Jewish Chronicle report of 19 September 1941 refers to a Federation Group of the Federation of Synagogues being formed. In both appearances in Jewish Year Books, the congregation is listed as a Constituent Synagogue of the Federation of Synagogues ↵
(x) The last listing of the congregation was in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵
(xi) and (xii) Reserved.
(xiii) Listed as reader in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵
(xiv) The press releases of 1941 did not reveal the identity of any officer other than hon. secretary. ↵
(xv) Listed as president in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵
(xvi) Listed as treasurer in Jewish Year Books 1945/6 and 1947. ↵
(xvii) Listed as wardens in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. ↵
(xvii) J. Koln was named as hon. secretary in the Jewish Chronicle reports of 15 August 1941 and 19 September 1941 and was listed as hon. secretary in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6. It is probable that he also served as hon. secretary during the intervening years. ↵
(xix) Listed as hon. secretary in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵
(xx) and (xxi) Reserved.
(xxii) Previous Registration Districts: Chertsey - from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1934; Surrey North Western - 1 April 1934 to 1 October 1996; and North Surrey - 1 October 1996 to 4 August 2008; Any registers would be held by the current register office. ↵
(xxiii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 7 November 1941 refers to the existence of Hebrew classes and the Jewish Year Books of 1945/6 and 1947 refer to the existence of a Talmud Torah ↵
(xxiv) The Ladies Guild is mentioned in the Jewish Chronicle report of 5 January 1945. ↵

List of Federation of Synagogues Congregations

World War II Evacuee Communities

Jewish Congregations in Surrey

Jewish Congregations in Greater London and its Outskirts

Jewish Communities of England homepage

Page created: 26 October 2006
Data expanded and notes first added: 16 November 2023
Page most recently amended: 9 September 2025

Research by David Shulman and Harold Pollins
Formatting by David Shulman

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