North Western Reform Synagogue

North Western Reform Synagogue
Religion
Affiliation	Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Golan Ben-Chorin Rabbi Hannah Kingston Rabbi Elliott Karstadt Rabbi Colin Eimer Rabbi Josh Levy (Emeritus)
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″N0°11′47″W / 51.5794°N 0.1964°W / 51.5794; -0.1964
Architecture
Architect(s)	Fritz Landauer
Date established	1933 (as a congregation)
Completed	1936
Website
alyth.org.uk

The North Western Reform Synagogue, commonly known as Alyth, ^[a] 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.

Overview

Logo of the congregation

The congregation was founded in 1933. Its building, designed by the architect Fritz Landauer, ^[2] was built in Alyth Gardens in 1936, on land carved out from the West London Synagogue’s cemetery in Hoop Lane. ^[3] In 1942, the congregation became a founding member of Associated British Synagogue, now known as the Movement for Reform Judaism. ^[4] 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 2021 its members approved a £6 million upgrade to the synagogue building, ^[5] which is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Clergy

The following individuals have served as rabbi of the congregation: ^[3]

No.	Rabbi	Term start	Term end	Notes
1	Solomon Starrels	1933	1938
2	Maurice Perlzweig	1938	1942	Also chair of the World Union of Jewish Students in 1933 and had helped to create the World Jewish Congress
−	Vivian Simmons	1942	1943	Acting, on secondment from West London Synagogue
3	Dr Werner van der Zyl	1943	1958	Also founder and president of Leo Baeck College [3]
4	Philip Cohen	1958	1972
5	Dow Marmur	1972	1983
6	Charles Emanuel	1983	2003
7	Laura Janner-Klausner	2003	2011	Became Senior Rabbi at the Movement for Reform Judaism in 2011 [6]
8	Mark Goldsmith	2006	2019	Became Senior Rabbi at Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue in 2019
9	Josh Levy	2008	2023	Emeritus; became Chief Executive of the Movement for Reform Judaism in 2023
10	Colin Eimer	2015	incumbent
11	Hannah Kingston	2017	incumbent
12	Elliott Karstadt	2020	incumbent
13	Golan Ben-Chorin	2024	incumbent

Notable members

• 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
• Richard Hermer, Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland since July 2024 ^[7]

See also

• London portal
• Judaism portal

• History of the Jews in England
• List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom
• List of synagogues in the United Kingdom

Notes

1. Alyth is a name derived from the road on which the synagogue is located since 1936. ^[1]

References

1. "About: Find us". Alyth website.^{[ self-published source? ]}
2. Herselle Krinsky, Carol (1996). Synagogues of Europe – Architecture, History, Meaning. Appendix I, p. 430.
3. "Our history". Alyth website. Retrieved 9 January 2016.^{[ self-published source? ]}
4. "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.
5. Toberman, Barry (3 March 2021). "Members approve £6 million upgrade for Golders Green shul". The Jewish Chronicle . Retrieved 3 March 2021.
6. Rocker, Simon (21 July 2011). "Meet the media-savvy voice of Reform Judaism". The Jewish Chronicle . Retrieved 2 November 2012.
7. Harpin, Lee (6 July 2024). "Starmer appoints lawyer who opposed Gove's anti-BDS bill as Attorney General". Jewish News . Retrieved 7 July 2024.

External links

• Official website