Finsbury Park Synagogue

London N4

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Congregation Data

Name:

Finsbury Park Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
also known as Finsbury Park United Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Earlier Name:

Finsbury Park District Synagogue (from 1934 until about 1976)^(iv)

Current Address:

220 Green Lanes, Woodberry Down, Finsbury Park, London N4 2NT.

The congregation moved to this site in 1960. However in 2002 the synagogue was desecrated by vandals who burned the torah scrolls, ripped prayer books, daubed the walls with swastikas and vile graffiti, smashed windows and literally destroyed the already aging building. It was decided to sell the site in a "mixed-use property scheme", consisting of purpose-built flats and a dedicated space for the synagogue. The development was completed in September 2006 and the synagogue now occupies part of the ground floor of the front block of the development. The new synagogue actually opened for services on 24 June 2006.^(v)

Earlier Addresses:

The congregation's first synagogue was at 20 Portland Road, Brownswood Park Estate, Finsbury Park, London N4 (later, in 1937, renamed Portland Rise) from 1884 until 1901.^(viii)

The congregation's next synagogue was at Princess Road, Queen's Road (renamed Princess Crescent, Queen's Drive, in 1935), Finsbury Park, London N4.^(ix) The foundation stone was laid on 1 May 1901 by the prominent philanthropist and communal leader Frederic David Mocatta.^(x) The synagogue, designed by the renowned Anglo-Jewish architect Delissa Joseph,^(xi) was consecrated on 8 September 1901.^(xii)

During World War II the synagogue sustained bomb damage as a result of enemy action,^(xv) but the congregation remained there until 1960.^(xvi)

Formation:

Formed in 1884.^(xvii)

Current Status:

Active

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

Independent until becoming affiliated with the Federation of Synagogues from about the turn of the century until the early 1920's.^(xviii)

It was then again unaffiliated until it joined the United Synagogue as a district synagogue in 1934.^(xix) In about 1976, it became a constituent synagogue, when the district synagogue category was discontinued.^(xx)

Website:

https://www.finsburyparksynagogue.co.uk

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

Rev. Isaac Simcha Meisels (first term) - preacher and minister in and about 1890.^(xxiv)

Rev. Salomon Jacob Linnewiel - minister from at least 1896 until at least 1901.^(xxv)

No data available between 1902 and 1922.^(xxvi)

Rev. Isaac Simcha Meisels (second term) - minister from at least 1922 until 1923.^(xxvii)

Rev. Benson Fertleman - minister from 1924 until 1932.^(xxviii)

Rev. Dr. Isidor Grunfeld - minister from 1936 until 1938.^(xxxi)

Rev. Sam Venitt - minister from 1938 until 1940.^(xxxii)

Rabbi Michael Elton - minister from 1943 until 1944.^(xxxiii)

Rev. Sidney Clayman (first term) - minister from about 1947 until 1950.^(xxxiv)

Rev. Avrom Simon Chaitowitz - minister from 1952 until 1954.^(xxxv)

Rev. J. Fertleman, BA - minister from about 1955 until about 1958,^(xxxviii) and then as reader until about 1974.

Rev. Sidney Clayman (second term) - minister from about 1958 until 1974.^(xxxix)

Rev. Ivan A. Binstock - minister from 1974 until 1978.^(xl)

Rev. G. Rosenthal - minister from about 1978 until about 1979.^(xli)

Rev. Rabbi Asher Cohn - minister from about 1984 until about 2013.^(xlii)

Rev. Menasche Scharf - minister from May 2025 until present (August 2025).^(xliii)

Readers / Chazanim:

Rev. Asher Perlzweig - reader from 1904 until 1931.^(xlv)

Rev. Max Feder - reader from 1931 until 1947.^(xlvi)

Rev. Reuben Turner - reader from 1948 until 1950.^(xlvii)

Rev. Morris Harold Taylor - reader from 1950 until 1951.^(xlviii)

Rev. J. Fertleman, BA - reader from about 1958 until about 1974,^(li) having previously served as rminister since about 1955.

Rev. Eliahu Krausher - reader from 1974 until 1916.^(lii)

Lay Officers:

No known data earlier than 1896, as all data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books, first published 1896/7.^(lvi)

Presidents

1896-1900 - B. Fund^(lvii)

1900-1901 - A. Levy

1901-1903 - B. Fund

1903-1913 - H.J. Cahen

1913-1921 - G. Felsenstein

1921-1927 - no data

1927-1930 - V. Myers

1930-1934 - Arthur Felsenstein

Vice Presidents

1927-1929 - J.I. Goldstein

1929-1930 - K. Lewis

1930-1934 - A. Blaustein

Wardens

1934-1935 - I. Angel & Louis Levy

1935-1938 - M. Levine & L. Applebaum

1938-1940 - M. Levine & Louis Levy

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1947 - S. Diamond & I. Joseph

1947-1948 - S. Diamond & A. Stream

1948-1955 - S. Diamond & H.D. Rosenthal

1954-1956 - I. Josephs & H.D. Rosenthal

from 1956 - no data

Treasurers

1896-1900 - S. Hamburger^(lviii)

1900-1927 - no data

1927-1929 - K. Lewis

1929-1930 - Arthur Felsenstein

1930-1932 - A. Leewarden

1932-1933 - M. Levine

1933-1934 - Louis Cohen

Financial Representatives

1934-1936 - J. Shaw

1936-1937 - S.H. Gabe

1937-1940 - A. Leewarden

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - M. Gershon

1946-1947 - P. Tenenbaum

1947-1951 - J. Hambury

1951-1952 - J.M. Michaels

1952-1956 - E. Milner, BA

from 1956 - no data

Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries

1896-1900 - S. Eldov^(lix)

1900-1922 - no data

1922-1936 - J.N. Jacobs

1936-1938 - Rev. Dr. Isidor Grunfeld

1938-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - Mrs. H. Cohen

1946-1969 - A. Harman

1969-1978 - L.G. Keizner

1978-1980 - J. Wallach

1980-1987 - M. Ross

1987-1991 - no data

1991-1992 - J. Landau

Membership Data:

Jewish Year Books (seatholders)^(lxii)

1896

1900

1905

1907

1910

1912

65

130

115

110

130

200

United Synagogue (male seatholders)^(lxiii)

1940

1950

1960

1970

167

215

327

396

National Reports & Surveys^(lxiv)

1977 - 312 male (or household) members and 204 female members

1983 - 230 male (or household) members and 174 female members

1990 - 329 members (comprising 306 households, 3 individual male and 20 individual female members)

1996 - 238 members (comprising 218 households, 8 individual male and 12 individual female members)

2010 and 2016 - listed as having 50 to 99 members (by household)

Charitable Status:

As a constituent of the United Synagogue, the congregation operates within that organisation's registered charity status (registered charity no. 242552).^(lxv)

Local Government Districts:

Finsbury Park, an area in North London, is not to be confused with the district of Finsbury, several miles to the south, close to the centre of London.

Finsbury Park straddles three London Boroughs, the London Borough of Hackney (in which the present synagogue and the addresses of the congregation's two previous synagogues are situated), the London Borough of Haringey and the London Borough of Islington, all inner London boroughs created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London.^(lxvi)

Previously the locality was in the former Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington (established 1900) in the County of London (established 1889), both of which entities were abolished in 1965.

Registration District (BMD):

Hackney from 1 July 1979^(lxvii) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

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

For Federation cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Educational

Hebrew & Religious Classes - founded by 1922, with 50 pupils.^(lxx)

Other Institutions

Ladies Guild - active by 1947.^(lxxi)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This was the name under which the congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books until 1934 and from 1977. ↵
(iii) This names appears on the congregation's website, last accessed August 2026. ↵
(iv) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books when listed as a district to the United Synagogue. ↵
(v) The congregation's website, accessed August 2026 and "Shul through Maytal’s eyes… Finsbury Park Synagogue" - community news on the United Synagogue website. Green Lanes was first listed as the congregation's address in the Jewish Year Book 1962 ↵
(vi) and (vii) Reserved.
(vii) The congregation's website, Jewish Year Book listings until 1900/01 and Old to New Street names 1929-1945 on maps.thehunthouse.com website. ↵
(ix) Old to New Street names 1929-1945 on maps.thehunthouse.com website. Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1901/02 through 1961. ↵
(x) Order of Service dated 1 May 1901. ↵
(xi) Pauk Lindsay's The Synagogues of London, 1993, p.123. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by Delissa Joseph, hold your cursor over his name. ↵
(xii) Jewish Chronicle report of 8 September 1901. ↵
(xiii) and (xiv) Reserved.
(xv) Congregation's website. ↵
(xvi) Listed in Jewish Year Books until 1961. ↵
(xvii) Congregation's website and note in Jewish Year Books from 1896/7. ↵
(xviii) Appearing solely as unaffiliated in Jewish Year Books until 1899/1900, from the 1900/01 edition appearing as unaffiliated but also listed among the Federation of Synagogues congregations until the 1921 edition. Thereafter listed solely as unaffiliated until the 1934 edition. ↵
(xix) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), p.221. ↵
(xx) The congregation was first listed as a constituent synagogue in the Jewish Year Book 1977. ↵
(xxi) to (xxiii) Reserved.
(xxiv) The Jewish World of 3 October 1890 reported on Rev. I. S. Meisels's service at the congregation The report notes that he preached there on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and highlights his continued scheduled activities with the congregation. ↵
(xxv) Based upon listings in Jewish Year Books (as Rev. S. Finewich in 1896/7 - the first edition; as Rev. S. Linnewich in 1897/8; and as Rev. S. Linewiel in 1898/9 through 1901/2). It is unknown as to when he served, as there were no further Jewish Year Book listings of ministers for this congregation until 1923. ↵
(xxvi) There were generally no Jewish Year Book listings of ministers of Federation congregations in Jewish Year Books until the 1923 edition. ↵
(xxvii) based upon Rev. I. S. Meisels's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1923 and 1924 and his death in November 1923. Jewish Year Books did not list ministers of the congregation in the years prior to 1923 and accordingly we currently have no indication as to when his term of service commenced. ↵
(xxviii) Rev. B. Fertleman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1925 through 1932. ↵
(xxix) and (xxx) Reserved.
(xxxi) Rev. Dr. I. Grunfeld was listed as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1938. ↵
(xxxii) Rev. S. Venitt was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1939 and 1940. ↵
(xxxiii) Jewish Chronicle reports. There were no Jewish Year Books during these years. ↵
(xxxiv) Rev. S. Clayman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1950. ↵
(xxxv) Rev. A.S. Chaitowitz was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1953 through 1955, but had already taken up his next post, in Stanmore, in 1954 ↵
(xxxvi) and (xxxvii) Reserved.
(xxxviii) Based solely upon Rev. J. Fertleman's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1956 through 1958. ↵
(xxxix) For his second term, Rev. S. Clayman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1974, and was emeritus minister 1977 through 1987. ↵
(xl) Rev. I.A. Binstock was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1975 through 1978. ↵
(xli) Based solely upon Rev. G. Rosenthal's listing as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1979. ↵
(xlii) Dates based solely upon Rev. A. Cohn's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1985 through 2014. ↵
(xliii) Jewish News report of 19 March 2025 and the congregation's website, accessed August 2026. ↵
(xliv) Reserved.
(xlv) Online research. Jewish Year Books only began listing readers of the congregation in 1923, and Rev. A. Perlzweig was listed as such in the editions 1923 through 1931. ↵
(xlvi) Rev. Max Feder was first listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Book 1933 and was last listed in the 1947 edition. ↵
(xlvii) Rev. Turner's Jewish Chronicle obituary 19 August 2016. He was listed as reader of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1950. ↵
(xlviii) Rev. Taylor's Jewish Chronicle obituary 4 August 1995. ↵
(xlix) and (l) Reserved.
(li) Based solely upon Rev. J. Fertleman's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1974. ↵
(lii) Online reports. Rev. Krausher was listed as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1974 until the final edition (2015). ↵
(liii) to (lv) Reserved.
(lvi) The data listed here has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, which, until the 1928 edition, did not list any officers of Federation of Synagogues congregations, other than the president. Where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book (Initially year books corresponded to the Hebrew year, and thus ran roughly from autumn of one year - the year of publication - until autumn of the next year. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to year appearing the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1938, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1934 and continued in office until 1938). 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. Jewish Year Books were not published during WWII subsequent to 1940. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(lvii) Listed in Jewish Year Books as president prior to the congregation joining the Federation of Synagogues. ↵
(lviii) Listed in Jewish Year Books as treasurer prior to the congregation joining the Federation of Synagogues. ↵
(lix) Listed in Jewish Year Books as hon. secretary prior to the congregation joining the Federation of Synagogues. ↵
(lx) to (lxi) Reserved.
(lxii) Figures extracted from the Jewish Year Book for the subsequent year. ↵
(lxiii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(lxiv) 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. ↵
(lxv) Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the charity's registration on the Charity Commission website. ↵
(lxvi) The London Borough of Hackney, an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hackney, Stoke Newington and Shoreditch. All three metropolitan boroughs (each established in 1900) had been within the former County of London (established in 1899). ↵
(lxvii) The former Registration Districts were: Hackney, from 1 July 1837 until 31 March 1930, and Stoke Newington, from 1 April 1930 until 30 June 1979. Registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(lxviii) to (lxix) Reserved.
(lxx) Jewish Year Book 1923. ↵
(lxxi) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1948. ↵

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Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hackney

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Street Directory of Congregations in Stamford Hill,
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Page created: 18 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 16 August 2026
Page most recently amended: 19 August 2026

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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