Fieldgate_Street_Great_Synagogue
Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue, established in 1899, was located at 41 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel in the East End of London. This synagogue's official Hebrew name was Sha’ar Ya’akov (Gate of Jacob, שער יעקב), but it became known as the Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue, as there were several smaller synagogues along the street.[1]
It was built with a ninety-year lease of land previously occupied by a private house and workshop that served as a home of ginger-beer maker and a tea chest dealer. This was part of a synagogue project by the Federation of Synagogues, which oversaw the amalgamation of three small chevras through appeals that condemned existing premises as unsuitable for public worship. Building costs were estimated at £3,500, from which the Federation of Synagogues contributed £500, private members raised £700 and Samuel Montagu put down at least £200 of his own money.[2]
Upon establishment, Samuel Montagu was made honorary president, while Nathaniel Charles Rothschild performed the opening ceremony. Solomon Michaels, a clothier, was the acting president. William Whiddington, a city-based architect, was commissioned to design the synagogue, to comply with an Ashkenazi shul tradition.[2] It was purchased by the East London Mosque in July 2015.[3]