        |
|||||||||||
1970 marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Central Synagogue as an independent congregation on its present site in Great Portland Street, London, W.1, in 1870. Although the Community and a synagogue had already been in existence for fifteen years, it was in name and practice only a branch of the Great Synagogue, Duke's Place, in the parish of St. James's, Aldgate, in the City of London. The Great Synagogue was fully responsible for its administration and the supervision of its religious services. The history of the Central Synagogue, and its antecedents, is an integral part of the romance and history of Anglo-Jewry. The last century, beginning with the full emancipation of Jewry in this country, and culminating with the vigorous and salutary contribution of Jews, individually and collectively, to the spiritual, intellectual, commercial and political life of this country, has been a most fruitful and glorious epoch in Anglo-Jewish history. In this connection the Central Synagogue has played a noble part, and its annals are replete with outstanding figures, who have contributed in no small measure to the life and activities of the Jewish Community and to the nation. From the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria many Jews began to migrate to the West End district, Westminster and Hyde Park. In 1848 the authorities of the Great Synagogue, the long-standing centre of Synagogue life in London, felt that with the establishment of the Reform Synagogue a few years earlier some of their members would become attached, notwithstanding their own inclination, to the solitary place of worship within easy reach of their own homes. Alternatively, they might break away from their present allegiance to the Great Synagogue and establish their own congregation, with results that might prove fatal to the economy of the parent body. It was therefore decided to establish, under the auspices of the Great Synagogue itself, a branch Synagogue more conveniently situated which would satisfy the religious requirements of those who lived in the vicinity without modifying their relationship to the original Community. Accordingly, at a meeting on the 7th November 1848, the Committee of the Great Synagogue adopted the following resolution:
Matters moved slowly in those days. In the following January a sub-committee was appointed, but it was not until the 24th February 1850, their recommendation having been considered, the Committee of the Great Synagogue decided that a new Synagogue be erected a quarter of a mile west of Regent Circus, and the sum of £6,000 was voted for the erection of this building. Many months elapsed in discussion, but on 14th July 1853 fifteen members of the Vestry of the Great Synagogue visited a warehouse at 120 Great Portland Street which might be converted into a suitable Synagogue. It was agreed that this building be taken on a forty-two-years lease, subject to the possibility of raising the roof. The representatives of the Great Synagogue mentioned in the lease are:
On the 7th April 1870, corresponding to the 6th Nisan 5630, the new building was consecrated by the Chief Rabbi amidst a large congregation. The Ark was opened by Sir Moses Montefiore, then eighty-five years of age. A Hebrew ode was specially composed for the occasion by the Chief Rabbi. The following is a reprint of the front page of the Order of Service at the Consecration of the Synagogue:
CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE Consecrated by THE REV. DR. ADLER, CHIEF RABBI Minister: REV. A. L. GREEN Assisted in the Consecration Service by the Rev. S. Ascher Second Reader: Rev. Samuel Lyons Building and Finance Committee: WARDENS Sir Anthony de Rothschild, Bart.; Lionel L. Cohen, Esq.; Jacob Waley, Esq., M.A.; Hyman L. Beddington, Esq. TREASURERS Joseph Lazarus, Esq.; Edward H. Beddington, Esq. OVERSEER Moses Symons, Esq.
Ephraim Alex, Esq.; Joshua Alexander, Esq.; Alfred H. Beddington, Esq.; David Benjamin, Esq.; Saul Isaac, Esq.; Lewis Jacobs, Esq.; Lewis Lazarus, Esq.; Frederick Marcus, Esq.; Samuel Montagu, Esq.; Henry Moses, Esq.; Louis Nathan, Esq.; Sir S. B. Phillips, Alderman;
Henry B. Worms, Esq.; Asher Ashe, M.D., Secretary The Psalms paraphrased by Lionel Van Oven, Esq. Music composed and the Choir conducted by Mr. J. L. Mombach
On the 14th July 1870 the Act bringing into existence the United Synagogue received the Royal Assent and the Central Synagogue, now no longer under the aegis of the Great Synagogue, became the fifth of its constituents. The first wardens elected were Baron F. de Rothschild and Mr. B. Myers, but Sir Anthony de Rothschild, who has been elected to the Board of Management, resigned on his election as first President of the United Synagogue.
On the 3rd July 1871 Dom Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, visited the Synagogue and a prayer book and illuminated address were presented to him.
The "Jewish Chronicle" of 14th July 1871 reported "The Emperor of Brazil visited the Central Synagogue on Friday night, and again on Sabbath morning. On Friday night, the Emperor arrived after the service, and was received by the Ministers. The Ark was opened and a Sefer Torah was brought out and shewn to the Emperor, who addressed the clergymen in excellent English. He read and translated Hebrew fluently from a Pentateuch handed to him.
On Sabbath morning, the Emperor arrived immediately after the reading of the portion, and the subsequent Kadish. As his Majesty entered, the congregation rose to receive him, and the Rev. A. L. Green pronounced the blessing ordained by the Rabbis to be said when in the presence of a Sovereign.
The Emperor was conducted to a seat in the Wardens' pew, the Wardens retiring to seats in the body of the Synagogue. The Emperor, to whom a prayer book was handed, paid great attention to the service, rising and seating himself with the congregation. After the Kedushah, the Emperor rose and, saluting the congregation, retired quietly attended by one of the Wardens."
The 'Times'. which reported the event in great detail on its opening page, added, "we understand that the visit of the Emperor to the Central Synagogue is the first that has been paid in this country by a reigning Sovereign to a Synagogue during Divine Service. We may add that his Majesty is versed in the Hebrew language, and was consequently able to read and understand the service."
The Synagogue soon became prosperous and in the first year had let 365 gentlemen's seats and 269 ladies' seats. The fixtures of the old Synagogue were given to the Brighton and Stepney Synagogue. By the year 1872, when the first wedding was solemnised, the Synagogue included among its members, five MP's, six Barons, two Aldermen of the City of London, the Solicitor-General (Sir George Jessel) and one member of the Royal Academy (Professor S. A. Hart).
In 1876 the building was completely redecorated at a cost of £1,300 which was raised by the congregation. The Roman pavement was placed in front of the Ark, and Mr. F Davi presented twenty-five Italian marble columns. In 1880 Sabbath-morning Religion Classes for children were instituted.
In 1881 H.R.H. the Prince of Wales visited the Synagogue to attend the wedding of Mr. Leopold de Rothschild.
His Royal Highness paid a second visit in December 1898, at the service in memory of Baron F de Rothschild.
On the 11th March 1883 a severe blow befell the Community in the sudden death of its beloved Minister, the Rev. A. L. Green. In February 1884 the Rev. E. Spero of the Hambro Synagogue was elected Reader, and in July the Rev. D. Fay of Bristol was elected Preacher.
In 1892 Chanukah military services commenced and became a regular feature until the outbreak of the Great War.
In 1902 the Rev. Fay retired owing to ill health.
Consolidation and Development
In June 1903 the Rev. Michael Adler, B.A., of the Hammersmith Synagogue was appointed Minister, and Mr. L. J. Salomons was elected Secretary.
In 1905 a bronze and marble tablet to the memory of the 116 Jewish soldiers who died in the South African war was affixed to the exterior of the building, and was unveiled by Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, K.G. The Field-Marshal had paid an earlier visit to the Synagogue at a Chanukah military service in 1902 which was noteworthy for the presence in the Wardens' Box of one of the members of the congregation, Sir Marcus Samuel, Bart., then Lord Mayor of London.
On the 6th May 1905 the Jubilee Service was held. The Chief Rabbi, Dr. Herman Adler, delivered the sermon and the service was conducted by the Rev. Michael Adler and the Rev. E. Spero.
A Sefer Torah was presented by Mr. Vallentine to commemorate fifty years' service to the congregation.
In 1906 Rev. Michael Adler was appointed Hon. Chaplain to H.M. Forces.
The congregation mourned the death of its Beadle, Mr. P. Vallentine, in 1906 and in 1907 Mr. M. Schulman was elected Beadle in his place. In 1910 a new organ was presented to the Synagogue by Mr. D. Isaacs.
In 1914 Mr. J. H. Taylor, B.A., was appointed Secretary. In 1915 leave of absence was granted to Rev. Adler in order that he might go to the Front. Rev. B. N. Michelson and Mr. M. Zeffert carried out his Synagogue duties. Later that year Mr. Leopold de Rothschild was elected President of the United Synagogue.
On 29th January 1916 a student of Jews College, Mr. Israel Brodie, B.A., preached the sermon.
After much negotiation the Hon. Officers obtained a new 999-years lease from the ground landlords. A premium of £5,000 was paid, and an annual ground rent of £235 was agreed upon. The Synagogue presented a Y.M.C.A. hut for erection on the Western Front.
In 1917 the Synagogue basement was turned into an official air-raid shelter.
In 1920 a vote of congratulation was accorded to Sir Robert Waley-Cohen, K.B.E., on his receiving a knighthood. on the 19th September 1920 a special service was held to commemorate the jubilee of the Synagogue on its present site. The Very Rev. Dr. J. Hertz, the Chief Rabbi, preached the sermon, and the service was conducted by the Rev. Michael Adler and the Rev. E. Spero. The scroll bearers included the Haham, Dr. M. Gaster, Rabbi Professor H. Gollancz, Dayan Feldman, and Sir Adolph Tuck, Bart. During the service, the Record of the Fallen was unveiled. It consisted of bronze tablets affixed to the walls adjoining the sides of the Ark, bearing the names of the men who fell in action during the Great War. Sir Adolph Tuck lit 18 candies on the war memorial candelabrum in memory of the fallen. A further candle was lit by the father of a departed officer.
In 1921 congratulations were accorded to Sir Marcus Samuel, Bart., on his being raised to the peerage, and to Sir Samuel Instone and Sir Bernard Oppenheimer on having received knighthoods.
In 1924 Rev. Spero retired from the office of Reader which he had held for forty years. He was elected Emeritus Reader. In February 1924 the Warden, Sir Adolph Tuck, was presented with an enlarged photograph of himself, and a gold Chanukah Menorah, on the occasion of his seventieth birthday.
In May 1925 Rev. A. Stoutzker of Amsterdam was elected Reader. In November the Ladies' Guild was formed, and Mrs. Gerald Beddington became its first President.
The entire Community mourned the death of its beloved Warden, Sir Adolph Tuck, Bart, in July 1926. As a mark of esteem and devotion the office of Warden was left vacant for one year.
In 1927 Mr. M. Roth was appointed Beadle to succeed Mr. M. Schulman, had who retired.
In 1928 Lord Bearsted and his family presented a marble Almemar in memory of their parents.
In 1934 Rev. M. Adler, D.S.O., B.A., retired after thirty-one years' service to the Central Synagogue and Rev. Philip Cohen, B.A., was appointed Minister.
Mr. Joseph Jacobs, a Warden, donated the sum of £2,000 to set up a Ministers' Augmentation Fund.
In 1940 permission was granted for the Synagogue to be used as an assembly centre for temporary refuge for those whose homes had been destroyed by bombing. Rev. P. Cohen was granted leave of absence in order to take up his duties as a Chaplain to H.M. Forces and Rev. E. Nemeth, B.A., was appointed temporary Minister.
Sabbath and festival services were held at the Adolph Tuck Hall, Woburn House. On 3rd June 1942 the Board congratulated Sir Robert Waley-Cohen, K.B.E., on his election to the presidency of the United Synagogue. In 1946 the Rev. P. Cohen returned to his duties, but after three months resigned his position. In 1946 the Rev. Simeon Isaacs, B.A., H.C.F., Of the South-East London Synagogue, was appointed Minister. In 1948 Mr. Desmond A. Tuck retired from the position of Warden after twenty-one years, and was presented with a silver cigarette box as a mark of esteem and affection. Due to the difficulty in obtaining a Building Licence for a permanent Synagogue of suitable character to replace the former building, it was decided to build a temporary Synagogue which would contain 399 gentlemen's seats and 165 ladies' seats. The new building was consecrated on Thursday, 30th September 1948, by the Chief Rabbi. The following is a copy of the frontispiece of the Order of Service:
The scroll-bearers at the Consecration Service in addition to the officiating clergy, were Dayan H. M. Lazarus, M.A.; Sir Robert Waley-Cohen, K.B.E.; Frank Samuel, Esq.; The Hon. E. Montagu, K.C.; Isaac Wolfson, Esq.; P. H. Taylor, Esq.; and J. Harris, Esq. Sir Robert Waley-Cohen unveiled a commemorative tablet in the vestibule of the Synagogue. On the 14th February 1949 the Central Synagogue Hebrew Classes amalgamated with those of the Dean Street Synagogue to form the West Central Talmud Torah, under the aegis of both congregations. The congregation mourned the passing of Joseph Henry Jacobs, in August 1949, who had been Warden of the Synagogue from 1920-1938. In November 1950 the Rev. A. Stoutzker retired from the position of Reader, and he was succeeded by the Rev. Simon Hass, who was appointed in February 1951. The whole Community mourned the passing of Sir Robert Waley-Cohen in November 1952. In May 1954 the Community suffered the grievous loss of its beloved Minister, Rev. S. Isaacs, B.A. A Memorial Service was held, at which the Very Rev. Israel Brodie, the Chief Rabbi, paid tribute to his services to the Community. In October 1954 Mr. M. Stoller was appointed Secretary. In May 1955, with the abolition of licensing restrictions, it was decided to rebuild the Synagogue on its present site in a manner commensurate with its earlier history and dignity. A Building Committee was set up, under the chairmanship of Mr. Leonard Wolfson, consisting of Messrs. Isaac Wolfson, P. H. Taylor, J. Harris, A. L. Levy and H. Jacobs. The Committee were encouraged by the promise of a handsome donation by the Wolfson family and promises of support by other members of the congregation. In July 1955 the Rev. Cyril I. Shine, B.A., of the North Finchley and Woodside Park District Synagogue was appointed Minister. On the 4th February 1956 the final service was held in the existing, Synagogue, and rebuilding of the new Synagogue commenced the following day. The foundation stone of the new Central Synagogue was laid by Mr. Isaac Wolfson and consecrated by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Israel Brodie. Prior to the laying of the Foundation Stone, the duly appointed Building Committee, under the energetic leadership of Mr. Leonard G. Wolfson, received reports to the effect that the new synagogue building would cost in the region of £210,000. This figure did not include furbishings, furnishings and fittings, etc. Part of the cost would be recovered from the War Damage Commission, but the major part would have to be provided by the members of the congregation. It was agreed that a leading artist be commissioned to draw up a suitable overall scheme for the installation of stained glass windows in the Synagogue and that this additional cost would also be met by the members of the congregation. The following is a reproduction of the description of the new Synagogue contained in the commemorative brochure issued on the laying of the Foundation Stone of the Synagogue:
THE NEW CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
The Building The frontage on Great Portland Street, constructed of well-tested weatherproof materials, will present such impressive appearance as would be consistent with the dignity required in a House of Worship. The main walls will be constructed of natural Portland stone, and columns supporting the stone arched window heads will be of imperial red Swedish granite and will rest upon a plinth of the same material. Below this plinth the wall between the windows to the lower rooms will be faced with ebony black granite. The main entrance doors, set in a recess, will be of polished hardwood heavily moulded. The surrounds of these recessed doors will reach to a height of 36 feet and will be faced with Venetian glass mosaics, enriched with symbolic designs. There will be an additional entrance from Hallam Street to the main foyer and this will be treated externally with selected facing bricks and Portland-stone dressings. Immediately within this entrance will be provided a Bride's Room which will be exquisitely decorated in a scheme including a fibrous plaster ceiling and damask-covered walls.
Facilities An Assembly Hall of over 2,000 sq. ft. floor area will be provided immediately below the Synagogue. This will incorporate a raised stage with dressing-room accommodation, as well as a lecture or committee room. The kitchen will also be included adjacent to the Hall for the preparation of light refreshments. A School section will be included in the building but planned so as to comprise a complete entity, having its own entrance. This will include four classrooms, and assembly and recreation rooms with ample natural lighting throughout. From the foregoing it will be seen that the new Synagogue will aim at achieving a manifold purpose by extending upon its primary religious foundation facilities for social and recreational activities both for its adult membership and the younger generation. During the two years that elapsed before the completion of the new Synagogue, the Sabbath and Festival services were once again held at the Adolph Tuck Hall, Woburn House. The High Festival services were held at the Dukes Hall, of the Royal College of Music. Daily services were maintained at Hallam Street in the remaining part of the old building, as was the office administration and the Hebrew Classes. Congratulations were extended to Brigadier Beddington in September 1956, and to Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen in January 1957 on being awarded their knighthoods. In January 1958, Mr. M. Cliffe, a member of the congregation, was elected a Member of Parliament for the Finsbury and Shoreditch constituency. In February 1958, the congregation mourned the passing of Mr. M. Roth, a devoted servant of the community for 31 years. The Consecration of the New Central Synagogue 1958 The consecration of the rebuilt Synagogue took place on the 23rd March 1958. The service was conducted by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Israel Brodie, who gave the address, and the Rev. Cyril Shine and the Rev. Simon Hass in the presence of a large and distinguished gathering, which included the President of the United Synagogue, the Hon. Ewen Montagu, Q.C., His Excellency The Ambassador of Israel, Dr. Elihu Elath, Sir William Wakefield, M.P., and the Mayor of St. Marylebone. The Ark was opened for the Memorial Prayer for the founders of the Synagogue by Mr. Alfred L. Levy and Dr. Elath. At the reception which followed, congratulatory telegrams were read from the Chief Rabbis of Israel. Speakers included Mr. Philip H. Taylor (Warden), the Rev. Cyril Shine, Mr. Leonard G. Wolfson, Mr. Desmond Tuck (Past Warden), Sir Ben. Barnett, The Hon. Ewen Montagu, and Mr. Jack Harris (Financial Representative). A special ornamental key was presented to Mr. Isaac Wolfson. The Synagogue Service was recorded for transmission to Israel by the B.B.C., and television viewers saw the principal guests being welcomed on the newsreels. The consecration of the rebuilt Central Synagogue led to a renewal of its activities. The membership increased in the first year by over 100, totalling 700. The Synagogue was upgraded in status to Class One of the Constituent Synagogues of the United Synagogue. The Parents Association of the Hebrew Classes was formed which undertook to raise funds for the Children's Synagogue. A Youth Committee under the chairmanship of the Rev. Cyril Shine was formed, which subsequently founded The Portland Jewish Youth Club. The club consisted of the 13-16 age group, meeting twice weekly which proved very successful in its initial activities. A Junior club for ages 10-13 years was later formed, which also proved a success. A regular Talmud Shiur was instituted, and Adult Education Classes were inaugurated by the Minister. A feature of the new Synagogue was the attendance of large groups of non-Jews, from 20 to 200 in number who came to the Services or visited the Synagogue to be addressed by the Minister. The Communal Hall presented by Mr. A. Wix in memory of his parents was much in demand by many organisations. In addition the hall was used for overflow services for the High Festivals. In July 1958, the Hebrew School consisting of five classrooms together with its amenities, presented by the Morrison family, was opened by Mrs. Max Morrison and consecrated by the Rev. Cyril Shine and the Rev. Simon Hass. Mr. Isaac Wolfson thanked Mr. Peter Morrison for the family's generosity. The consecration of the Children's Synagogue, presented by the Parents Association, took place in the presence of a large gathering of children and adult members. The Synagogue is built to scale for the use of the children, with a miniature Ark, Reading Desk and Scrolls, and permanent seating for seventy children. It is used on Sabbath and Festivals, and the services are conducted by the children themselves under adult supervision. The period between 1960-1970 marked further expansion in the activities of the Congregation. The membership increased to over 800, and the Sabbath services were well attended. The Central Synagogue Group was formed to cater for the 18-30 age group, and the Diplomats, an Organisation for the over 35s, met regularly in the Synagogue Hall. The Friendship Club for pensioners was also given facilities for the regular use of the premises. The Ladies' Guild was reformed under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Max Williams and Mrs. Arnold Klausner. The Guild undertook the provision of a regular Kiddush for the Sabbath congregation, and the arrangements for the decoration of the Succah, which has proved to be one of the outstanding features of the congregation. The Batmitzvah was instituted by the Minister, and three girls were addressed at a special service. In May 1960, Mr. M. Wosner was appointed Beadle. In November 1960, Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen was elected Lord Mayor of London, and the Rev. Cyril Shine was appointed Domestic Chaplain to the Lord Mayor. This was the first occasion that a Jewish Chaplain had been appointed to the Lord Mayor of London since the inception of the Lord Mayoralty nearly 800 years ago. The Lord Mayor, accompanied by his Sheriffs, attended the Synagogue Service on the first Sabbath after his election. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Officers of the City of London attended "in State" the Civic Service, in the presence of a very large and distinguished gathering amongst whom were the religious and lay leaders of the Jewish Community and many Civic and Jewish Dignitaries. The Chief Rabbi, Dr. Israel Brodie, gave the address and the service was conducted by the Rev. Cyril Shine and the Rev. Simon Hass. This was the first time in the history of the Synagogue that the Lord Mayor of London had honoured the congregation in this manner. The Barmitzvah of the younger son of the Lord Mayor Sir Bernard Waley-Cohen took place later in the year. He was the fourth Generation of the Waley-Cohen family to be Barmitzvah in the Synagogue. A reception was later held at the Mansion House. The Anglo-Jewish Community, and the Central Synagogue, in particular, was singularly honoured in the conferment of a Baronetcy on Mr. Isaac Wolfson, one of the Wardens of the Synagogue, in January 1962. In May 1963, Sir Isaac Wolfson, Bt., and Mr. Philip H. Taylor, Wardens, and Mr. Jack Harris, Financial Representative, retired from office after sixteen and fifteen years respectively of devoted service to the congregation. Mr. Leonard G. Wolfson and Mr. Jack Steinberg were elected Wardens, in their place, and Mr. Alfred L. Levy, Financial Representative. Sir Isaac Wolfson, Bt., was subsequently elected President of the United Synagogue. In September 1963, for the first time in the history of the Synagogue, the midnight Selichot Service conducted by the Rev. Simon Hass and choir was held. This service attracted a very large and crowded congregation, and became a regular practice and event in the calendar of the Central Synagogue. Mr. J. Grunwald, B.A., a student of Jews College was appointed Student Minister in November 1963. In December 1963 the Rev. Cyril Shine was awarded the Rabbinical Diploma (Hatoras Horaah) by the Chief Rabbi and the Rabbinical Examination Board of Jews College. Sir Isaac Wolfson, Bt., Dayan Swift, Mr. Leonard G. Wolfson and Mr. Philip H. Taylor paid tribute to the Rabbi's activities in the congregation at a reception in his honour. The Central Synagogue Cultural Society was formed in March 1966. The Chief Rabbi, Dr. I. Jakobovits gave the inaugural lecture. In May 1966, Mr. Jack Steinberg retired from office of Warden, and Mr. Alfred L. Levy was elected Warden in his place, and Mr. Lionel I. Swift, Financial Representative. Mr. S. Ehrlich was appointed Secretary to the Synagogue in December 1966. In May 1967, a day of Prayer and Intercession was held owing to the threat of war in the Middle East. The Synagogue was thronged with worshippers, who left their daily occupations to attend continuous services. During the emergency of the war in Israel in June, crowded meetings of members of the congregation were held, at which the support of the Community was made known. The Central Synagogue J.P.A. committee was formed In March 1968, under the chairmanship of Mr. E. Alec Colman, J.P., in association with Rabbi Cyril Shine. This committee became increasingly active over the period of the next few years. On the 17th November 1968, a service was held to mark the presentation of a Sefer Torah to the Synagogue by Mr. Charles Wolfson. This was the first celebration of this kind for over fifty years, and was held in the presence of a very large gathering. The honour of inscribing the last letters of the Torah was given to the family of the donor and to distinguished members of the congregation. In February 1969, congratulations were extended to the Emeritus Chief Rabbi, Dr. Israel Brodie, on the conferment of the honour of Knight-Commander of the British Empire, and to Mr. John Cohen on the conferment of a Knighthood. Congratulations were extended to a distinguished member of the congregation, Professor Ernst Chain, F.R.S., the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Biochemistry, on the conferment of a knighthood in September 1969. In May 1970, Mr. Leonard Wolfson retired from office as Warden, and a presentation was made to him by the Board of Management in recognition of his past services. Mr. Eric Miller, J.P., was elected Warden in his place. A Centenary Service was held on the 22nd November 1970. The service to be conducted by the Emeritus Chief Rabbi, Sir Israel Brodie, K.B.E., Rabbi Cyril Shine and the Rev. Simon Hass. The Secretary of State for Home Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Reginald Maudling, M.P., was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque in the vestibule of the Synagogue. The guests at the Centenary Service included the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir John Waldron, K.C.V.0., Mr. Kenneth Baker, M.P. for St. Marylebone, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Dennis Ramsay, the Senior Vice-President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Sir Samuel Fisher, J.P., and the Vice-President, Mr. Victor Mischon, D.L., Dayanim, the Honorary Officers of the United Synagogue, the Ministers and Officers of neighbouring Synagogues, the Ministers of neighbouring Churches, the Rt. Hon. Lord Cohen of Walmer, the Lord Cohen of Birkenhead and the Rt. Hon. Lord Stonham and Lady Stonham.
To be continued... |
