the former

Fulham and Kensington Synagogue

Fulham, London SW6

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and congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

© Leslie Bailey 2008 and reproduced here with consent
The former Fulham & Kensington Synagogue, Lillie Road (September 2008)
(now a Seventh Day Adventurist Church)

Congregation Data
Name:	Fulham and Kensington Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	259 Lillie Road, Fulham SW6⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ The foundation stone for the synagogue was laid on Sunday 18 April 1920 by Dayan Asher Feldman, with the Rev. Alexander Amias officiating and Joseph Morris Levy, who had served as the first Jewish Mayor of Hammersmith, presiding.^(iv) However the freehold of the site was not acquired until 1923^(v) and the synagogue, in Art Deco style, designed by architect Digby Lewis Solomon,^(viii) was erected and in use from 1926,^(ix) the formal consecration of the synagogue by Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz, assisted by Rev S. Bronstein, taking place in 1927.^(x) Previously the congregation would have met in members' homes and, most probably, in a temporary rented hall.
Formation and Predecessor Congregation:	Although the congregation appears to have been formed in or about 1921,^(xi) it was a sucessor to an earlier unaffiliated Askenazi congregation in Fulham, known as the Fulham Children of Israel Chevra, founded by 1913 and active until about 1921. Its hon. secretary was N. Cohen.^(xii)
Final Status:	The synagogue closed and the congregation merged in May 1959 with the Shepherd's Bush Synagogue to form the Shepherd's Bush, Fulham & District Synagogue.^(xv) Following the sale of the synagogue building, it became the West London Seventh-day Adventist Church.^(xvi)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	The congregation was admitted to the Federation of Synagogues in September 1929,^(xvii) and remained a constituent or affiliate until its merger in 1959.^(xviii)
Ministers: *(To view a short profile of a minister - hold the cursor over his name.)*	Rev. S. Bronstein - from 1926 until 1929.^(xxii) Rev. Israel Rabinowitz - from 1929 until about 1949.^(xxiii) Rev. Solomon Greenstein - from at least 1951 until 1964.^(xxiv) Rev. P. Englard - from about 1956 until about 1960.^(xxv)
Lay Officers:	Unless otherwise stated, all data on lay officers, from 1929 onwards, has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxix)
	Presidents 1923-1938 - J. Goodman^(xxx) 1938-1945 - no data 1945-1951- W. Ferst from 1951 - no data Vice Presidents from 1923 - J. Handler^(xxxi) 1924-1929 - no data 1929-1933- H.A. Landau 1933-1934- P.H. Rayman 1934-1949 - no data 1949-1951- W. Shear from 1951 - no data Chairmen 1932-1934- S. Hyams 1934-1937 - no data 1937-1941- P. Tann^(xxxii) 1941-1951 - no data 1951-1956- A. Kaufman from 1956 - no data Vice Chairman 1937-1938- W. Ferst from 1938 - no data	Hon President 1929-1930 - Cllr Donald S. Van den Bergh Wardens elected 1923 - A. Berlinsky & C. Brenner^(xxxiii) 1924-1929 - no data 1929-1931 - W. Gershowitz & J. Sapir 1931-1934 - W. Gershowitz 1934-1938 - W. Gershowitz & H. Jacobson 1938-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - W. Gershowitz & M. Laport 1946-1955 - no data 1955-1956 - B. Lerner & A. Rosenberg from 1956 - no data Treasurers 1923-1938 - I.C. Levy^(xxxiv) 1938-1951 - no data 1951-1956 - B. Brown from 1956 - no data Secretaries & Hon Secretaries 1929-1951 - Julius Lewis^(xxxv) 1951-1956 - Rev. Solomon Greenstein 1956-1960 - N.H. Kleiner
Local Government Districts:	Fulham, a district in west central London, is now in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, an Inner London Borough created on 1 April 1965 (and until 1979 named the London Borough of Hammersmith), within the administrative area of Greater London.^(xxxviii) Previously Fulham was in the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham (established in 1900) in the County of London (established 1889), both of which entities were abolished in 1965.
Registration District (BMD):	Hammersmith and Fulham from 1 January 2001^(xxxix) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	For Federation cemeteries, see Cemeteries of the Federation of Synagogues.

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Congregation, 1923 to 1956

Notable Jewish Connections with Fulham

The Fulham Road Jewish Cemetery was purchased in 1815 for £400 by the Western Synagogue (now the Western Marble Arch Synagogue) and, although no longer in use, it is one of the oldest Ashkenazi burial grounds in Britain.

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Educational

Talmud Torah - establish close to the founding of the congregation. Indeed, from at least the 1920a, the congregation was known as Fulham and Hammersmith Synagogue and Talmud Torah.

Other Institutions

Ladies Guild - active from at least 1923.^(xl)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) This was the name of the congregation in all press reports and listings in Jewish Year Books, except that the latter frequently referred to Fulham and Hammersmith Synagogue and Talmud Torah. ↵
(iii) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books, from the congregation's first listing (1930) until its final listing (1960). ↵
(iv) The Jewish Chronicle press report of 23 April 1920. ↵
(v) The proposed purchase of the freehold and its actual purchase were reported, respectively, in The Jewish Chronicle of 2 March 1923 and of 19 March 1923. ↵
(vi) to (vii) Reserved.
(viii) Sharman Kadish's Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland (2015), p.51. To view a description of the Jewish architectural works by Digby Lewis Solomon, hold your cursor over his name. ↵
(x) Mentioned in The Jewish Chronicle report of 2 May 1950. ↵
(x) Mentioned in The Jewish Chronicle report of 17 June 1927. ↵
(xi) It is clear that the congregation had been in existence for some years prior to the previously mentioned press reports of 1923. ↵
(xii) This congregation was listed with these details in Jewish Year Books 1914 through 1921. ↵
(xxiii) to (xxiv) Reserved.
(xv) Peter Renton's The Lost Synagogues of London (2000), p. 176. The last listing of the congregation in Jewish Year Books was in the 1960 edition and the first listing of the Shepherd's Bush congregation under the name Shepherd's Bush, Fulham & District Synagogue was in the 1961 edition. ↵
(xvi) Leslie Bailey (2008), Sharman Kadish's Jewish Heritage in Britain and Ireland (2015), p.51, and online research. ↵
(xvii) Geoffrey Alderman's The Federation of Synagogues 1887-1987 (1987), p.62. ↵
(xviii) Jewish Year Books variously described the congregation as "represented on the Federation", "a constituent of the Federation" or "an affiliated synagogue of the Federation". ↵
(xix) to (xxi) Reserved.
(xxii) The Jewish Chronicle of 24 September 1926 reported that the Talmud Torah of the Congregation, which had been temporarily closed, would re-open on 3 October, under the direction of the minister, the Rev. S. Bronstein. His successor Rev. Rabinowitz was minister from at least 1929. ↵
(xxiii) The Jewish Chronicle in 1929 reported that Rev. I Rabinowitz conducted a sefer torah dedication service at the synagogue. In his The Jewish Chronicle obituary of 7 December 1951 it states that he retired as minister of the congregation two years previously. He is listed as minister of the congregation from its first listing in Jewish Year Books (1930) through 1948 (apart the 1941-5, when publication was suspended). ↵
(xxiv) In The Jewish Chronicle of 7 December 1951, Rev. S. Greenstein is described as of the Fulham and Kensington Synagogue and on 16 April 1954 it reported that the appointment of the Rev. S. Greenstein, of Fulham, London, as headmaster of the religion classes and second reader of the Southport congregation, was unanimously confirmed. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1952 through 1955. ↵
(xxv) Jewish Chronicle reports 18 March 1955 and 10 February 1956 place Rev. P. Englard at Fulham and Kensington Synagogue. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1956 through 1960. ↵
(xxvi) to (xxviii) Reserved.
(xxix) The congregation was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1930. 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 (which was generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book) and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant (e.g. if he is listed in Jewish Year Books 1930 through 1933, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1929 and continued in office until 1933). 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 suspended publication during WWII 1941/5. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xxx) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 March 1923 reported his election as president. As he was also listed as president in Jewish Year Books from 1930, it has been assumed (without any information to the contrary) that he continued to serve as president in the intervening years. ↵
(xxxi) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 March 1923 reported his election as vice president, although there is no data as to when he ceased to serve. ↵
(xxxii) Listed as chairman in Jewish Year Books 1938 and 1940. The edition for 1939 did not list officers of the Federation congregation, but it is assumed that he also served in the intervening year. ↵
(xxxiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 March 1923 reported their election as wardens, although there is no data as to when they ceased to serve. ↵
(xxxiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 March 1923 reported his election as treasurer. As he was also listed as treasurer in Jewish Year Books 1930 through 1938 (except 1934), it has been assumed (without any information to the contrary) that he continued to serve as treasurer in the intervening years. ↵
(xxxv) Listed as secretary in Jewish Year Books both prior to the World War II suspension of publication (1930 through 1940) and subsequent to such suspension (1945/6 through 1951). it is assumed that he also served in the intervening years. ↵
(xxxvi) and (xxxvii) Reserved.
(xxxviii) The London Borough of Hammersmith was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Municipal Borough of Fulham and the former Municipal Borough of Hammersmith, each of which had been within the former County of London. ↵
(xxxix) The former Registration District was Fulham, from 1 April 1875 until 1 January 2001. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xl) The Jewish Chronicle of 19 March 1923, ↵

List of Federation of Synagogues Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 26 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 25 February 2026
Page most recently amended: 4 March 2026

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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