the former

Hornsey and Wood Green Affiliated Synagogue

London N8

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

Congregation Data

Final Name:

Hornsey and Wood Green Affiliated Synagogue

or Hornsey and Wood Green Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Earlier Names:

Wood Green and District Hebrew Congregation (until 1920)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Hornsey and Wood Green Associate Synagogue (from 1920 until 1949)^(iv)

Last Address:

389 Wightman Road, Hornsey, London N8 0NA^(v)

The synagogue, a temporary structure, was opened on this site in 1920,^(vi) the consecration taking place on 5 September 1920 with Rabbi Professor Dr Hermann Gollancz, Rev. Hyman Goodman and Rev. I. Shapiro officiating, accompanied by the choir of the New Synagogue.^(ix)

In 1958/9 a new synagogue was constructed on the site with seating approximately 200 worshippers.^(x)

Formation and Earlier Addresses:

Wood Green and District Hebrew Congregation was formed by 1909.^(xi) This may be considered either the former name of the congregation or the name of a predecessor congregation (and, in the latter case, the congregation itself was not formed until 1920 with the establishment of Hornsey and Wood Green Associate Synagogue).^(xii)

It appears that Wood Green and District Hebrew Congregation first met at 177 High Road, Wood Green, London N22, in 1909.^(xiii)

The congregation then moved to Queen's Parade, Green Lanes, London N8 in about 1910.^(xiv)

In about 1913 it moved to Clarence House, Tottenham Lane, London N8 until 1920.^(xv)

Final Status:

Closed in 1987.^(xvii) Remaining members transferred to Muswell Hill Synagogue

Following closure, on 6 July 1987 the synagogue site was sold at auction for £150,500 to the London Islamic Cultural Society and a purpose-built mosque and cultural centre was constructed on the site and the adjoining plot.^(xviii)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

The congregation was unaffiliated until joining the United Synagogue as an associate synagogue in 1920. In 1949 it received affiliated synagogue status, when the associate synagogue scheme was terminated.^(xix)

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

Rev. S.H. Michaelson - minister from about 1910 until about 1913.^(xxiii)

Rev. A.I. Lewinski - minister from about 1916 until about 1919.^(xxiv)

Rev. A. Solomons - minister from about 1919/20.^(xxv)

Rev. Hyman Goodman - minister and secretary from 1920 until 1943.^(xxvi)

Rev. Solomon Brown - temporary minister and secretary from 1943 until 1947.^(xxix)

Rev. Aron Secemski - minister and secretary from at least 1948 until about 1957.^(xxx)

Readers:

Rev. S. Hertzberg - reader from about 1918 until about 1920.^(xxxi)

Rev. I. Shapiro - reader from about 1920 until about 1923.^(xxxii)

Lay Officers:

All data on lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxxv)

Presidents

1909-1910 - M. Wortman

1910-1913 - H.I. Holland

1913-1916 - B. Isick

1916-1921 - N.V. Steele

Wardens

1920-1921 - B. Isick & M. Haltrecht

1921-1925 - N.V. Steele & M. Hashfield

1925-1927 - H. Bernstein & A. Leewarden

1927-1929 - M. Hashfield & L. Infield, BA, OBE

1929-1933 - L. Infield, BA, OBE & Dr L.M. Mayers

1933-1934 - L. Infield, BA, OBE & S. Salmon

1934-1935 - L. Infield, BA, OBE & Rev. M. Polankoff

1935-1937 - Rev. M. Polankoff

1937-1940 - A. Daniels & L. Smith

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1946 - A. Daniels & L. Smith

1946-1947 - W. Furman & L. Smith

1947-1949 - L. Smith & M. Bentley

1949-1953 - M. Bentley & L. Smith

1953-1954 - L. Scheuer & J. Collis

1954-1956 - M. Bentley & L. Smith

from 1956 - no data

Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries

1909-1913 - L.B. Abrahams

1913-1916 - B. Langner

1916-1918 - N. Stebbings

1918-1920 - B. Langner

1920-1957 - the congregation's ministers^(xxxvi)

1958-1963- R. Harris

1963-1964- J. Sheinman

1964-1987- J.P. Cooper

Vice Presidents

1910-1911 - F. Fainlight

1911-1915 - no data

1915-1916 - N.V. Steele

1916-1920 - no data

1920-1921 - M. Hashfield

Treasurers

1909-1910 - B. Isick

1910-1914 - M. Wortman

1914-1915 - I. Myers

1915-1916 - A.I. Lewinski^(xxxvii)

1916-1921 - no data

Financial Representatives

1921-1922 - M. Wortman

1922-1924 - C. Symons

1924-1925 - M. Wortman

1925-1927 - H.I. Holland

1927-1929 - M.H. Saunders

1929-1933 - M. Cootes

1933-1934 - L.H. Radges

1934-1935 - W. Newman Kay

1935-1937 - S. Wilson

1937-1938 - S.W. Ellis

1938-1940 - N. Gassman

1940-1945 - no data

1945-1947 - M. Bentley

1947-1951 - D. Klein

1951-1953 - M. Lever

1953-1954 - I. Morris

1954-1956 - H. Lever

from 1956 - no data

Membership Data:

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

1950

1960

1970

106

129

87

National Reports & Surveys^(xxxix)

1977 - 82 male (or household) members and 45 female members

1983 - 74 male (or household) members and 41 female members

Local Government Districts:

Hornsey and Wood Green, residential areas in north central London, are situated in the London Borough of Haringey, created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London.^(xlii)

Previously, there were, respectively, in the former Municipal Borough of Hornsey (incorporated as a borough in 1903, previously an Urban District from 1894) and the former Municipal Borough of Wood Green (incorporated as a borough in 1933, also previously an Urban District from 1894) in the former county of Middlesex, all of which entities were abolished in 1965.

Registration District (BMD):

Haringey from 1 April 1965^(xliii) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

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

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on Third Party Websites

Photographs of the synagogue on harringayonline.com website.

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Educational

Hebrew & Religious Classes - founded by 1910^(l)
The following are details of the number of pupils enrolled in the clases for the relevant years:^(li)
1920 - 30 pupils
1921 - 45 pupils

Other Institutions

Ladies Guild - active by 1923.^(lii)
Social and Literary Society - initially founded by 1923 and revived by 1946^(liii)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) These were the names used by the congregation from becoming an affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogues in 1949. The congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books from 1950 through 1961 under the first name and from 1962 through its last listing (1987) under the second name. ↵
(iii) The congregation was listed under this name in Jewish Year Books from 1910 through 1920 (i.e. prior to it joining the United Synagogue). ↵
(iv) The congregation was listed under this name in the Jewish Year Books 1921 through 1949. ↵
(v) The Wightman Road address (without street number) was listed in Jewish Year Books from 1921 through 1987. The street number is provided by the website of South Asian Britain. ↵
(vi) Hornsey, including Highgate: Judaism on the british-history.ac.uk website. The address was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1921. ↵
(vii) and (viii) Reserved.
(ix) Michael Jolles's Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors, Chazanim, Ministers, etc.2024 ("Jolles's Encyclopaedia"), 2024 edition, p.581. ↵
(x) Hornsey, including Highgate: Judaism on the british-history.ac.uk website. ↵
(xi) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1910. ↵
(xii) The Jewish Year Book 1956 and some subsequent editons included a note that the congregation was established in 1920. ↵
(xiii) Listed as the congregation's address in the Jewish Year Book 1910. ↵
(xiv) Listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Books 1911 through 1913. ↵
(xv) Listed as the congregation's address in Jewish Year Books 1914 through 1920. ↵
(xvi) Reserved.
(xvii) The last listing was in Jewish Year Book 1987. ↵
(xviii) London Islamic Cultural Society website. ↵
(xix) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pp. 222/3. ↵
(xx) to (xxii) Reserved.
(xxiii) Based upon Rev. S.H. Michaelson's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1911 through 1915 and the fact that he appears to have taken his next post by about 1914. ↵
(xxiv) Based upon Rev. A.I. Lewinski's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1917 through 1919. He previously served as the congregation's treasurer (c.1915-c.1916). ↵
(xxv) Based upon Rev. A. Solomons's listing as minister of the congregation in the Jewish Year Books 1920. ↵
(xxvi) Rev. H. Goodman died in office - Jewish Chronicle 5 February 1943. He was listed in Jewish Year Books as minister (from 1921) and secretary (from 1924) of the congregation until the war-time cessation of publishing in 1940. ↵
(xxvii) and (xxviii) Reserved.
(xxix) Who’s Who in World Jewry, 1955. Rev. Brown was listed as minister and secretary of the congregation in the first Jewish Year Book following the WWII cessation of publication (1945/6) through 1948. ↵
(xxx) Dates based upon Rev. A. Secemski's listing as minister and secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1949 until 1957. ↵
(xxxi) Based upon Rev. S. Hertzberg's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1919 and 1920. ↵
(xxxii) Based upon Rev. I. Shapiro's listing as reader of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1921 to 1923. ↵
(xxxiii) and (xxxiv) Reserved.
(xxxv) 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, since 1909, 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 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. ↵
(xxxvi) During this period, on one occasion only, in the Jewish Year Book 1952, a Mrs C. Cohen was listed as Hon. Secretary. ↵
(xxxvii) A. Lewinski later served as the congregation's minister (c.1916-c.1919). ↵
(xxxviii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xxxix) 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. ↵
(xl) and (xli) Reserved.
(xlii) The London Borough of Haringey, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the three municipal boroughs of Hornsey, Tottenham and Wood Green. All three municipal boroughs had been within the former County of Middlesex. ↵
(xliii) The former Registration Districts were Edmonton, from 1 July 1837 until 1 October 1947, and Wood Green, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xliv) to (xlix) Reserved.
(l) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1911. ↵
(li) Number of pupils taken respectively from the Jewish Year Books 1921 and 1922. ↵
(lii) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1924. ↵
(liii) Initially listed in Jewish Year Book 1924, but subsequently did not appear again until the 1947 edition. ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Haringey

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 19 November 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 23 August 2026
Page most recently amended: 26 August 2026

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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