The Ark Synagogue

(Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue)

Northwood, Middx.

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	Congregation Data	(former logo)
Current Working Name:	The Ark Synagogue (since about 2021)⁽ⁱ⁾
Formal & Former Name:	Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue (Hebrew Name: Etz Chayim - "Tree of Live")
Earlier Name:	Pinner Liberal Jewish Congregation (until 1966), also referred to as Pinner & District Liberal Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Address⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾:	Oaklands Gate, Green Lane, Northwood HA6 3AA (from 1980, purpose-built) Previously: Hallowell Road, Northwood, Middx. (1966-1980) West House, Pinner, Middx. (1964-1966)
Current Status:	Active
Date Formed:	1964^(iv)
Ritual:	Liberal Progressive
Affiliation:	The congregation was a constituent synagogue of Liberal Judaism (formerly the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues), which on 1 January 2026 merged into the Movement for Progressive Judaism, of which the congregation became a constituent community.
Website:	https://www.arksynagogue.org/
Ministers^(v): *(To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his or her name.)*	Rabbi Charles Familant - rabbi in 1964^(vi) Rabbi Dr. Andrew Goldstein - principal of religious school from 1965, student rabbi and acting minister from 1967, minister and rabbi (later senior rabbi) from 1970 until 2008, emeritus rabbi since 2008^(vii) Rabbi Marcia Plumb - associate rabbi from 1990 until 1991^(viii) Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith - assistant rabbi from 1994 until 1997^(ix) Rabbi Rachel Benjamin - assistant rabbi (later associate rabbi) from about 1998 until 2004, 2007 until 2008^(x) Rabbi Aaron Goldstein - assistant (part-time) rabbi from 2007, senior rabbi from 2008 to present (April 2026)^(xi) Rabbi Hillel Athias-Robles - assistant and associate rabbi from 2008 until about 2012^(xii) Rabbi Lea Mühlstein - rabbi from 2013 to present (April 2026)^(xiii) Cantor Tamara Wolfson - cantor from May 2018 to 2020^(xiv) Rabbi Andrea Kulikovsky - assistant rabbi from September 2025 to present (April 2026)^(xv)
Membership Data:	Congregation's website^(xix) 1964 - 30 families 2018 - about 1,000 adults and 300 young members National Reports and Surveys^(xx) 1977 - 183 male (or household) members and 27 female members 1983 - 286 male (or household) members and 21 female members 1990 - 503 members (households) 1996 - 691 members (comprising 389 households, 140 individual male and 162 individual female members) 2010 - listed as having 750 to 999 members (by household) 2016 - listed as having 500 to 749 members (by household)
Legal & Charitable Status:	The congregation is a registered company, under the name The Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue (company no. 09349392), a private company limited by guarantee without a share capital, incorporated on 10 December 2014.^(xxi) The company is also a registered charity (no. 1160487), registered February 2015, the governing documents being the company's Memorandum & Articles Association.^(xxii) The congregation was originally established as an unincorporated association, Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, registered as a charity (no 243618) on 5 January 1967. With effect from 1 April 2015, the whole of its undertaking was transferred to the company and the charity was removed from the register on 4 July 2016.^(xxiii)
Affiliated Group:	A group, known as the New Bucks Group, based in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, was affiliated with this congregation in the 1970s. Membership Data: 1977 - - 20 male (or household) members and estimated 20 female members^(xxiv)
Local Government District:	Northwood, in northwest London suburb, is in the London Borough of Hillingdon, an outer London borough created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London. The adjoining suburb of Pinner is in the London Borough of Harrow, an outer London borough created on 1 April 1965, coextensive with the former Municipal Borough of Harrow, which was within the former County of Middlesex.
Registration Districts (BMD):	Northwood - Hillingdon (from 1 April 1965) - Link to Register Office website. Pinner - Harrow (from 1 October 1947) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	See London Cemeteries of Liberal Judaism.
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) This working name appears to have been first used in about 1921 (first mentioned in the annual report for the year ended 31 March 1921). The congregation was still registered under the former or formal name with Companies House and the Charity Commission ↵ (ii) The congregation was listed in Jewish Year Books through 1967 as the Pinner Liberal Jewish Congregation, although in the congregation's history, appearing on the congregation's website, it is referred to as Pinner & District Liberal Synagogue until 1966. ↵ (iii) Congregation's website, last accessed April 2026. In Jewish Year Books 1971 through 1984 the address was given simply as "High Street, Northwood". ↵ (iv) Congregation's website. ↵ (v) Unless otherwise stated, the names and periods of service for ministers of this congregation are based upon data appearing on the congregation's website, last accessed 4 September 2018. ↵ (vi) Based also upon Rabbi Familant's listing in the Jewish Year Book 1965. ↵ (vii) Rabbi Andrew Goldstein received his doctorate in about 1998 (based upon first reference to it in the Jewish Year Book 1999). ↵ (viii) She appears as Marsha Plumb on the congregation's website, accessed 4 September 2018 (and was not listed in any Jewish Year Books with respect to this congregation). However, this is believed to be a reference to Rabbi Marcia Plumb. ↵ (ix) However, in Jewish Year Books, Rabbi Smith was listed as a rabbi for this congregation only in 1997. ↵ (x) Rabbi Benjamin later served as associate rabbi, although this is not mentioned on the congregation's website. ↵ (xi) The congregation's website, last accessed April 2026. ↵ (xii) Jewish Chronicle Pressreader report dated 2 May 2008 of Costa Rican born Rabbi Athias-Robles's appointment. ↵ (xiii) Profile of German-born Rabbi Mühlstein was on the congregation's website, last accessed April 2026. ↵ (xiv) Congregation's website, accessed November 2020. ↵ (xv) The Congregation's and Leo Baeck's websites, accessed April 2026. Rabbi Kulikovsky, born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was ordained by Leo Baeck College, London, in 2025. ↵ (xvi) to (xviii) Reserved. (xix) Website accessed 4 September 2018. ↵ (xx) 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. ↵ (xxi) Companies House website last accessed April 2026. Clicking on the company number of this will take you to the registration on the Companies House website. ↵ (xxii) Charity Commission website, last accessed April 2026. Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the charity's registration on the Charity Commission website. ↵ (xxiii) Charity Commission website, accessed September 2018 (then in beta test stage), and congregation's directors report for the year to 31 March 2016. ↵ (xxiv) Reports on Synagogue Affiliation in the United Kingdom 1977, published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for a link to the report. ↵

On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

Annual Reports and accounts filed with Companies House and/or the Charity Commission (pdf):
- For period or years ended 31 March 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Bibliography - Greater London.

List of Progressive Judaism Congregations

List of former Liberal Judaism Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hillingdon

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Harrow

Jewish Congregations in Greater London (other than East End)

Greater London home page

Page created: 30 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 4 September 2018
Date most recently amended: 29 April 2026

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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