the former

Hounslow, Heathrow & District Synagogue

Hounslow, Middx.

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

© Leslie Bailey 2008 and reproduced with his kind permission
The former Hounslow, Heathrow & District Synagogue,
Staines Road (September 2008)

Congregation Data

Name:

Hounslow, Heathrow & District Affiliated Synagogue⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

Earlier Names:

Hounslow & District Synagogue (until about 1946)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾

Hounslow & District Hebrew Congregation (from about 1946 until about 1961)^(iv)

Hounslow & District Affiliated Synagogue (from about 1961 until about 1991)^(v)

Address:

100 Staines Road, Hounslow, Middx. TW3 3LF (formerly 2NA)^(viii)

These premises were formerly a Methodist church, having been acquired in about 1948.^(ix)

Previously the congregation met in Congregational Rooms, Douglas Road, Hounslow, Middlesex^(x) and prior to then, in members' homes.

Date Formed:

The congregation was founded in 1944.^(xi)

Final Status:

The synagogue closed following a final valedictory service on 7 December 2008. The service, attended by approximately 150 existing and former members of the congregation, was led by Reverend Alan Greenbat.^(xii) With the closure of the synagogue, the bulk of the former members joined Staines and District Affiliated Synagogue) with others joining the Ealing, Richmond or Ruislip congregations.^(xii)

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

A affiliated synagogue of the United Synagogue from 1945 until closure in 2008.^(xiii)

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

Rev. Jacob Ferber - from 1945 until 1952.^(xvi)

Rev. Jacob Gross - from 1953 until 1954.^(xvii)

Rev. Bernd Koschland - from 1955 until 1956.^(xviii)

Rev. Judah Levinson - from 1958 until 1959.^(xix)

Rev. Maurice Schwartz - 1960 until 1964.^(xx)

Rev. Aubrey Rosenberg (later Rosen) - 1964 until 1971.^(xxi)

Others known, or believed, to have served the congregation on an occasional or part-time basis are Rev. Julian Klein (dates not known)^(xxiii) and Rev. Mendel Ordman (in and about 1967, following his retirement)^(xxiv)

Lay Officers:

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

Wardens

1946-1947 - Philip Blaivas & M. Silk

1947-1948 - Philip Blaivas & H. Stain

1948-1949 - Philip Blaivas & Isaac Flashman

1949-1950 - Isaac Flashman

1950-1951 - Harold Rose & H. Stain

1951-1954 - Harold Rose & Leopold Scheuer

1954-1955 - Leopold Scheuer & J. Collis

1955-1956 - Harold Rose & H. Stain

from 1956 - no data

Treasurer

1945-1946 - B. Heiger

Financial Representatives

1946-1950 - Dr. Cecil Sandler

1950-1951 - H. Petrook

1951-1954 - L. Cirsch

1954-1955 - J. Morris

1955-1956 - H. Tarsky

from 1956 - no data

Chairman

1945-1946 - Harold Rose

Vice Chairman

1945-1946- H. Stain

Secretaries & Hon Secretaries^(xxvii)

1945-1950 - Mrs. E. Blaivas

1950-1952 - Rev. Jacob Ferber^(xxviii)

1952-1954 - no data

1954-1957 - B. Teff

1957-1958 - L. Rosen

1958-1959 - H. Tarsky

1959-1962 - L. Rosen & B. Teff

1962-1964 - L. Rosen

1964-1974 - B. Teff

1974-1989 - L. Gilbert

1989-1995 - Mrs. G.R. Roth

1995-1996 - Mrs. D. Peters

1996-2008 - L. Gilbert

Membership Data:

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

1945

1950

1960

1970

62

94

98

88

National Reports & Surveys^(xxxii)

1977 - 107 male (or household) members and 10 female members

1983 - 85 male (or household) members and 15 female members

1990 - 86 members (comprising 85 households and one individual male member)

1996 - 74 members (comprising 72 households and two individual male members)

Other Sources^(xxxiii)

2008 - 40 members

Former Charitable Status:

The registered charity connected to the congregation was the Hounslow Heathrow and District Affiliated Synagogue Charitable Fund, registered on 14 June 2006 (number 1114670), registered on and removed from the register on 10 March 2011 on the grounds that it had ceased to exist.^(xxxiv)

Local Government Districts:

Hounslow, a suburb in West London, is within the London Borough of Hounslow (established on 1 April 1965) within the administrative area of Greater London.^(xxxv)

Previously, it was in the former Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth (incorporated in 1932, an Urban District from 1894) in the former County of Middlesex, both on which entities were abolished in 1965.

Registration District (BMD):

Hounslow from 1 April 1965^(xxxvi) - Link to Register Office website

Cemetery
Information:

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

Online Articles, Bibliography and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Congregation, 1969 and 1988
Photographs of the Former Synagogue, 2025

Other Organisations & Institutions
connected to this congregation

Educational

Hebrew & Religious Classes - founded by 1953,^(xxxvii) but probably some years earlier.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) Reserved.
(ii) Name adopted in about 1991, based upon listings in Jewish Year Books from 1992. ↵
(iii) The congregation appeared under this name in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6, when it was first listed. ↵
(iv) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books 1947 through 1961. ↵
(v) The congregation appeared under this name in Jewish Year Books 1962 through 1991. ↵
(vi) and (vii) Reserved.
(viii) This was the address generally listed in Jewish Year Books, although the address given in the editions 1990 through 1993 and in 1995 was 96 Staines Road, although this is clearly the same premises. ↵
(ix) Mentioned in The Jewish Chronicle report of 11 November 1988. ↵
(x) This is the address under which the congregation was initially listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(xi) Noted in Jewish Year Book 1955. ↵
(xii) Jewish Chronicle report of 11 December 2008. ↵
(xiii) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), page 222 and Jewish Year Book listing. ↵
(xiv) and (xv) Reserved.
(xvi) First report of Rev. Ferber at Hounslow was in The Jewish Chronicle of 14 September 1945. On 29 February 1952, it reported that Rev. Jacob Ferber, minister of the Hounslow and District Synagogue, had been appointed minister of the East Ham, Manor Park and Ilford District Synagogue. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1947 through 1952. ↵
(xvii) The Jewish Chronicle of 30 January 1953 reported Rev.Gross's appointment as minister of the congregation and on 11 February 1955, it reported his induction at his next post, Dalston. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1953 and 1954. An Order of Service of the congregation that records the names of its ministers, lists him as minister 1953-1954. ↵
(xviii) The Jewish Chronicle of 25 December 1953 reported on the annual prize-giving to the pupils of the congregation's religion classes, referred to "The minister, the Rev B Koschland" presenting the report. However, this should have reflect the fact that he was actually head of the religious classes at the time and did not become minister until after the departure of Rev. Gross. The Jewish Chronicle of 3 August 1956 reported on a recent farewell reception for the Rev. B. Koschland on his leaving the Hounslow Synagogue to take up his new appointment as the minister of the Kingston and Surbiton Synagogue. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1955 and 1956 (there is no listing for 1957). An Order of Service of the congregation that records the names of its ministers, lists him as minister 1955-1957. ↵
(xix) The Jewish Chronicle of 14 June 1957 reported on a reception in Hull in honour of the Rev. J. Levinson, reader of the Old Hebrew Synagogue, and Mrs Levinson was held on the occasion of their departure for the Hounslow congregation in London. The latest report of The Jewish Chronicle placing Rev. Levinson at Hounslow was in 1958 and on 9 October 1959 it reported on the appointment of his successor. He was listed as minister of the congregation solely in Jewish Year Book 1958. An Order of Service of the congregation that records the names of its ministers, lists him as minister 1958-1959. ↵
(xx) The Jewish Chronicle of 9 October 1959 referred to Rev Maurice Schwartz as the newly appointed minister of Hounslow and District Synagogue. He assumed his next post, in Swansea, in May 1964. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1960 through 1964. An Order of Service of the congregation that records the names of its ministers, lists him as minister 1960-1964. ↵
(xxi) The Jewish Chronicle of 4 September 1964 reported that Rev. Aubrey Rosenberg, minister of the Bradford Hebrew Congregation, has accepted an invitation to become minister of the Hounslow Synagogue. His appointment at Hounslow was still to be ratified. The latest Jewish Chronicle report of Rev Rosen (Rosenberg) at Hounslow was on 14 March 1969, However, on 20 August 1971 it reported that Rev Aubrey Rosen, former minister of the Hounslow Synagogue, had been appointed part-time minister of the Richmond Synagogue with effect from 1 September. He was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books (in 1965 as Rev. A. Rosenberg and in 1966 through 1971 as Rev. A. Rosen). An Order of Service of the congregation that records the names of its ministers, lists him (as Rev. A. Rose) as minister 1964-1971. ↵
(xxii) Reserved.
(xxiii) Encyclopaedia of British Jewish Cantors, etc. by Michael Jolles, 2024 edition, p. 630. ↵
(xxiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 2 June 1967. ↵
(xxv) Reserved.
(xlvi) 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 1948 through 1951, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1947 and continued in office until 1951). 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 ceased publication during WWII until 1945/6. There were no Jewish Year Book listings of officers (other than secretary) subsequent to 1956. ↵
(xxvii) Administrator from 1992. ↵
(xxviii) Rev. J. Ferber was listed as hon. secretary in Jewish Year Books until 1954. However, as he left Hounslow in 1952, the entry for 1954 would appear t obe an error. ↵
(xxix) and (xxx) Reserved.
(xxxi) The United Synagogue 1870-1970 by Aubrey Newman (1977), pages 218/9. ↵
(xxxii) 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. ↵
(xxxiii) Jewish Chronicle report of 11 December 2008. ↵
(xxxiv) Charities Commission website, accessed February 2026. Clicking on the charity number of this will take you to the former charity's registration on the Charities Commission website. ↵
(xxxv) The London Borough of Hounslow, an Outer London Borough within the Greater London administrative area, was created on 1 April 1965 upon the merger of the former Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth, the former Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick, and the former Feltham Urban District, all three of which had been within the former County of Middlesex. ↵
(xxxvi) The former Registration Districts were; Staines, from 1 July 1837 until 1 October 1947, and Ealing, from 1 October 1947 until 1 April 1965. All registers would now be held by the current register office. ↵
(xxxvii) The Jewish Chronicle of 25 December 1953 reported on the annual prize-giving to the pupils of the congregation's religion classes, ↵

List of United Synagogue Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the London Borough of Hounslow

Jewish Congregations in Greater London

Greater London home page

Page created: 7 September 2003
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 18 February 2026
Page most recently amended: 22 February 2026

Research by David Shulman, assisted by Steven Jaffe (rabbinic profiles)
Formatting by David Shulman

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