the former

Streatham Synagogue

London SW16

JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities
and congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.


The former Streatham Synagogue 15a Mitcham Lane	The former Streatham Synagogue 26 Esterham Road

Congregation Data

Name:

Streatham Synagogue

Earlier Names:

Streatham District Congregation (from 1958 until 1976)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Streatham & District Synagogue (until 1958)^(iv)

Last Address:

26 Estreham Road, Streatham, London SW16 (from 1957).

These premises, a former drill hall, were acquired in 1957. For a year or two following the 1982 merger (to form South London Synagogue), the merged congregation continued to use these premises as its synagogue. It subsequently became a mosque - the Hyderi Islamic Centre.^(v)

Previous Address:

15a Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London SW16 (1947 to 1957).

This small hall was purchased following the establishment of the congregation and was dedicated in December 1947. It subsequently became a church.^(vi)

Formation:

The congregation was formed as a breakaway from Brixton Synagogue. It held its first service in 1946, following a meeting held in 1945, at which some 200 people attended.^(ix)

Final Status:

The congregation became the South London Synagogue in 1982, when Brixton Synagogue merged with it.^(x)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

An affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1946, becoming a district synagogue in 1958^(xi) and and in about 1976, it became a constituent synagogue, when the district synagogue category was discontinued.^(xii)

Ministers:
(To view a short profile of a minister - hold the cursor over his name.)

Rev. Judah H. Rockman - temporary minister/reader in about 1946/7^(xvi)

Rev. Morris Nemeth - minister from 1947 until about 1950^(xvii)

Rev. Gerald Schneider - minister from about 1951 until about 1957^(xviii)

Rev. (later Rabbi) Philip N. Ginsbury - minister from 1959 until 1966^(xix)

Rev. Maurice Kibel - minister from 1966 until about 1970^(xx)

Rabbi Dr. Arnost Zvi Ehrman - minister from 1970 until 1976^(xxiii)

Rev. Henry Daviest - minister from about 1978 until about 1980^(xxiv)

Rev. Israel Geoffrey Hyman - minister from about 1980 until 1982^(xxv)

Lay Officers:

Unless otherwise stated, data on the congregation's lay officers has been extracted from listings in Jewish Year Books.^(xxviii)

Chairman

1946-1947 - M. Jackson

Wardens

1947-1956 - H. Content, BSc & J. Harris

Treasurer

1946-1947 - N.B. Blow

Financial Representatives

1947-1953 - S. Cedar

1953-1956 - S. Aarons

from 1956 - no data

Hon. Secretary

1946-1948 - S. Aarons

Secretaries

1947-1948 - A. Solomon

1948-1949 - B. Gillman

1949-1957 - H. Solomon

1958-1962 - G.I. Teiman

1962-1963 - D. Berke

1963-1982 - A.A. Malnick

Membership Data:

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

1946

1950

1960

1970

52

215

261

245

National Reports & Surveys^(xxx)

1977 - 223 male (or household) members and 98 female members

Local Government Districts:

Streatham, a district in southwest London, is in London Borough of Lambeth. Previously (until 1965) it was part of the former Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth within the former County of London.^(xxxi)

Bibliography of the London Borough of Lambeth

Registration District (BMD):

Lambeth from 1 April 1965^(xxxii) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

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

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Jewish Social and Literary Society, founded by 1949.^(xxxv)
Ladies Guild, founded by 1951.^(xxxvi)

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.
(iii) The name of the congregation during the period it was a district synagogue of the United Synagogue and so listed in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1976. ↵
(iv) The name of the congregation listed in the Jewish Year Books from 1947 through 1958. ↵
(v) Peter Renton's The Lost Synagogues of London (2000) ("Renton's Lost Synagogues"), p.166. This was the listed address in Jewish Year Books 1959 through 1982 and continued to be a listed address for South London Synagogue until the 1985 edition. ↵
(vi) Renton's Lost Synagogues, p.166. This was the listed address in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1958, ↵
(vii) and (viii) Reserved.
(ix) Renton's Lost Synagogues, p.166. ↵
(x) Streatham Synagogue and Brixton Synagogue were last listed in the Jewish Year Book 1982, and South London Synagogue was first listed in the 1983 edition. Although JCR-UK is treating South London Synagogue as a separate congregation formed as a result of the 1982 merger, it could also have been considered as a change of name of Streatham Synagogue on its incorporation of Brixton Synagogue. ↵
(xi) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pp.221/2. ↵
(xii) First listed as a constituent synagogue in Jewish Year Book 1977. ↵
(xiii) to (xv) Reserved.
(xvi) Renton's Lost Synagogues, p.166 stated that "Services were first taken by Revd. J. Rockman (later at Catford)". ↵
(xvii) Based upon Rev. M. Nemeth's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1948 through 1950. ↵
(xviii) Rev. G. Schneider was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1952 through 1958. Earlham Grove Shul (West Ham) by H. Bloch (1997) gives his starting year at West Ham synagogue as 1957. ↵
(xix) Listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1960 (as Rev. P. Ginsbury, BA), 1961 through 1964 (as Rev. P. Ginsbury, MA) and 1965 and 1966 (as Rabbi P. Ginsbury, MA). ↵
(xx) Rev. M. Kibel was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1968 through 1971. ↵
(xxi) and (xxii) Reserved.
(xxiii) Rev. Dr. A. Ehrman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1972 through 1976, his JYB Who's Who entry (1977) gives his years of service as 1970-76. ↵
(xxiv) Based upon Rev. H. Daviest's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1979 and 1980. ↵
(xxv) Jewish Chronicle report of 17 December 1982. Rev. I.G. Hyman was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1981 and 1982. ↵
(xxvi) and (xxvii) Reserved.
(xxviii) There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. Where a person was first listed in a Jewish 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 and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was shown as vacant. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1949 through 1954, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1948 and continued in office until 1954. 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. ↵
(xxix) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xxx) Report on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by 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 various reports. ↵
(xxxi) The London Borough of Lambeth, an Inner London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth with the Clapham and Streatham areas of the former Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth (both established in 1900). These areas had been within the (then abolished) County of London (established in 1899). ↵
(xxxii) The former Registration District was Wandsworth, from 1 July 1837 until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xxxiii) and (xxxiv) Reserved.
(xxxv) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1950. ↵
(xxxvi) First listed in Jewish Year Book 1952. ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Lambeth

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 24 October 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 17 May 2026
Page most recently amended: 19 May 2026

Research and formatting by David Shulman

Explanation of Terms | About JCR-UK | JCR-UK home page

Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk
(Note: This is to contact JCR-UK, not the above Congregation)

Terms and Conditions, Licenses and Restrictions for the use of this website:

This website is owned by JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. All material found herein is owned by or licensed to us. You may view, download, and print material from this site only for your own personal use. You may not post material from this site on another website without our consent. You may not transmit or distribute material from this website to others. You may not use this website or information found at this site for any commercial purpose.