North_Western_Reform_Synagogue
The North Western Reform Synagogue, commonly known as Alyth,[lower-alpha 1] is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at Temple Fortune, Golders Green, in the Borough of Barnet, north-west London, England, in the United Kingdom.
| North Western Reform Synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
|
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Alyth Gardens, Temple Fortune, Golders Green, Borough of Barnet, London, England NW11 7EN |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Location of the synagogue in Greater London | |
| Geographic coordinates | 51°34′46″N 0°11′47″W |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 1933 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1936 |
| Website | |
| alyth | |
The congregation was founded in 1933, and its building was built in Alyth Gardens in 1936, on land carved out from the West London Synagogue’s cemetery in Hoop Lane.[2] In 1942, the congregation became a founding member of Associated British Synagogue, now known as the Movement for Reform Judaism.[3] With approximately 2,500 adult and 1,000 child members, the congregation is one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]
In 1958, the (Leo Baeck Centre was completed and in 2004 social spaces were expanded and a kindergarten completed.[citation needed]
In 2021 its members approved a £6 million upgrade to the synagogue building.[4]
The following individuals have served as rabbi of the congregation:[2]
| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solomon Starrels | 1933 | 1938 | 4–5 years | |
| 2 | Maurice Perlzweig | 1938 | 1942 | 13–14 years | Also chair of the World Union of Jewish Students in 1933 and had helped to create the World Jewish Congress |
| − | Vivian Simmons | 1942 | 1943 | 0–1 years | Acting, on secondment from West London Synagogue |
| 3 | Dr Werner van der Zyl | 1943 | 1958 | 14–15 years | Also founder and president of Leo Baeck College[2] |
| 4 | Philip Cohen | 1958 | 1972 | 13–14 years | |
| 5 | Dow Marmur | 1972 | 1983 | 10–11 years | |
| 6 | Charles Emanuel | 1983 | 2003 | 19–20 years | |
| 7 | Laura Janner-Klausner | 2003 | 2011 | 7–8 years | Later Senior Rabbi at the Movement for Reform Judaism[5] |
| 8 | Mark Goldsmith | 2006 | 2019 | 12–13 years | Later Senior Rabbi at Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue in 2019 |
| 9 | Josh Levy | 2008 | 2023 | 14–15 years | Emeritus; later Chief Executive of the Movement for Reform Judaism in 2023 |
| 10 | Colin Eimer | 2015 | incumbent | 8–9 years | |
| 11 | Hannah Kingston | 2017 | incumbent | 6–7 years | |
| 12 | Elliott Karstadt | 2020 | incumbent | 3–4 years | |
| 13 | Golan Ben-Chorin | 2024 | incumbent | 0 years |
 |
- Leo Baeck, a German rabbi, scholar and theologian who served as president of the congregation from 1947 to 1956
- Norman Bentwich, a barrister and legal academic, who served as president of the congregation from 1958 to 1971
- Alyth is a name derived from the road on which the synagogue is located since 1936.[1]
- "About: Find us". Alyth website.[self-published source?]
- "Our history". Alyth website. Retrieved 9 January 2016.[self-published source?]
- "North Western Reform Synagogue". Jewish Communities and Records – UK. JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- Toberman, Barry (3 March 2021). "Members approve £6 million upgrade for Golders Green shul". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- Rocker, Simon (21 July 2011). "Meet the media-savvy voice of Reform Judaism". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2 November 2012.