Hounslow, Heathrow & District Synagogue

The Jewish Chronicle, 14 March 1969

Allegations that small congregations are neglected by the head office of the United Synagogue have been made by officials of the Hounslow Synagogue. They criticise the present financial structure of the U.S. which, they say, allows small communities such as theirs to be in danger of fading away.

Hounslow are fortunate that they have an enthusiastic minister - the Rev. Aubrey Rosen - and lay officials; otherwise, they feel, they might have fallen by the wayside. The congregation has an annual deficit of £300 and even with an increase in subscriptions, they will only just be able to make ends meet. Among the members at Hounslow are a nuclear physicist, a road engineer and university lecturers. Some work at near-by Heathrow Airport.

The hon. president is Mr. Leopold Schuer, a diamond merchant who went to Vienna University and was once a lieutenant in the Austrian Army. The synagogue building, once a Methodist church, is badly in need of renovation and decoration. The ladies have nowhere to hold small functions and classroom accommodation for the 50 pupils is cramped.

There is also a teacher shortage, but much help is given in this direction by the minister's wife (the daughter of Rabbi M. Landy, of the Cricklewood Synagogue). To enable her to teach, the ladies' guild has formed a rota of babysitters.

The Jewish Chronicle, 11 November 1988

Before the Second World War, there was a small nucleus of Jews, mainly businessmen, in the west London suburb of Hounslow. The population began to grow after the war, and in 1948 [sic], a meeting with United Synagogue representatives in a local pub resulted in the forrmation of the Hounslow and District Synagogue. On Sunday the small community celebrates its 40th anniversary. The Rev. Jacob Ferber was the first minister. Hounslow's premises, a former Methodist chapel, in Staines Road, has remained the congregation's place of worship. Harold Ordman, originally from Edinburgh, has been a warden since 1966. He is also Hounslow's representative on the Board of Deputies.

Being close to Heathrow airport, the 90-member synagogue regularly plays host to Jewish visitors from abroad. "We have a nice atmosphere and we go out of our way to welcome people," Mr Ordman told LONDON EXTRA, Mr Ordman added that "although out in the sticks," and without a full-time minister, there is always a minyan on Shabbat morning in the 200-seat synagogue.

In July, the synagogue led the protest against the ruling Labour group's proposal to twin Hounslow council with Ramallah and El Bireh on Israel's West Bank. An article by Councillor Dave Wetzel, leader of the 'council, in the council broadsheet, "Your Hounslow," which strongly condemned Israel's occupation, but nowhere gave Israel's case, was also attacked by the synagogue as a possible cause of tension with the wider community.

Another problem has been the loss of members "We are in the same situation as the small communities in the inner city, although we are actually in the suburbs. Our children are moving out to Stanmore and Pinner." The synagogue's president, Leslie Rosen who moved to Hounslow from Bethnal Green in 1939, said: "We would describe our community as a family. Everyone knows each other and helps each other."

And second warden, Emmanuel Felberg, added: "On simchas, people come from larger synagogues because they love the heimsche atmosphere." He thinks Hounslow will be able to maintain its present size but is less certain about gaining new members. "I don't think Hounslow is about to become a yuppie area," he said.

The synagogue also runs a number of communal activities. The discussion group and the women's guild have been active since the beginning, and a bimonthly "Hounslow Synagogue Review" is produced by dedicated members.

Guests at Sunday evening's reception will include the Chief Rabbi, Lord Jakobovits; Sidney Frosh, the president of the United Synagogue; and the Mayor and Mayoress of Hounslow, David and Susan Hockeridge. There will also be a concert given by the B'nai B'rith Festival Singers.