The United Synagogue (US) is a union of British Orthodox Jewish synagogues, representing the central Orthodox movement in Judaism. With 62 congregations, comprising 40,000 members, it is the largest synagogue body in Europe. The spiritual leader of the union is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth – a title that bears some formal recognition by the Crown, even though his rabbinical authority is recognised by only slightly more than half of British Jews.
Reform Judaism, formally the Movement for Reform Judaism (MRJ) and known as Reform Synagogues of Great Britain until 2005, is one of the two World Union for Progressive Judaism–affiliated denominations in the United Kingdom. Reform is relatively traditional in comparison with its smaller counterpart, Liberal Judaism, though it does not regard Jewish law as binding. As of 2010, it was the second-largest Jewish religious group in the United Kingdom, with 19.4% of synagogue-member households. On 17 April 2023, Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism announced their intention to merge as one single unified progressive Jewish movement. The new movement, which may be called Progressive Judaism, will represent about 30% of British Jewry who are affiliated to synagogues.
The West London Synagogue, abbreviated WLS, and fully the West London Synagogue of British Jews is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located near Marble Arch, at 34 Upper Berkeley Street, in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England, in the United Kingdom.
Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located on London Road in Stanmore, in the Borough of Harrow, London, England, in the United Kingdom.
The North Western Reform Synagogue, commonly known as Alyth, 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.
Conservative Judaism outreach refers to those organizational and educational efforts by the Conservative Judaism meant to reach out and attract Jews and non-Jews, often the spouses and children in cases of Jewish intermarriage, to Judaism and to synagogue attendance.
Congregation Beth Israel is an independent, traditional egalitarian Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 229 Murdock Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina, in the United States. Founded in 1899 as Bikur Cholim, it was an Orthodox breakaway from Asheville's existing synagogue. It hired its first full-time rabbi in 1909, opened a religious school in 1911, and acquired its first building, which burnt down in 1916, in 1913.
Congregation Am Tikvah is a combined Conservative and Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 625 Brotherhood Way in San Francisco, California, in the United States. The congregation was formed in 2021 as the result of the merger of the Conservative B'nai Emunah and the Reform Beth Israel Judea congregations, with the latter formed in 1969 through a merger of the Conservative Congregation Beth Israel and the Reform Temple Judea. The congregation is affiliated with both the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Women rabbis are individual Jewish women who have studied Jewish Law and received rabbinical ordination. Women rabbis are prominent in Progressive Jewish denominations, however, the subject of women rabbis in Orthodox Judaism is more complex. Although a significant number of Orthodox women have been ordained as rabbis, many major Orthodox Jewish communities and institutions do not accept the change. In an alternative approach, other Orthodox Jewish institutions train women as Torah scholars for various Jewish religious leadership roles. These roles typically involve training women as religious authorities in Jewish Law but without formal rabbinic ordination, instead, alternate titles are used. Yet, despite this alteration in title, these women are often perceived as equivalent to ordained rabbis. Since the 1970s, over 1,200 Jewish women have been ordained as rabbis.
Temple Anshe Amunim is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 26 Broad Street, in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the United States. The congregation was founded by German Jewish immigrants in 1869 as Orthodox, and adopted Reform practice in 1879. It is the second-oldest Reform congregation in the United States and its temple is the oldest synagogue building in Western Massachusetts. In 1904, Anshe Amunim joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. It is also affiliated with the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.
Bromley Reform Synagogue is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 28 Highland Road, in Shortlands, Bromley, in the Borough of Bromley, London, England, in the United Kingdom.
Exeter Synagogue is in Synagogue Place, Mary Arches Street within the old city of Exeter, Devon, and is the third oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom. Originally built as a Sephardi synagogue for Dutch Jews trading in Exeter, it is now a synagogue of the Ashkenazi rite. Exeter Hebrew Congregation itself existed shortly prior to its construction.
Beth Shalom Reform Synagogue is a synagogue in the City of Cambridge. Founded in 1981, it held services in hired premises until 2015 when the community opened a new synagogue on a site on Auckland Road, the first Reform synagogue in Cambridge. The new building includes a prayer hall for at least 200 people. The building was dedicated on 6 September 2015 at a service led by Fiona Karet Frankl and addressed by Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, senior rabbi to the Movement for Reform Judaism.
The Richmond Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at Lichfield Gardens, in Richmond, in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation had 250 members and is a member community of the United Synagogue.
The Wimbledon Synagogue, formally the Wimbledon and District Synagogue, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 1 Queensmere Road, Wimbledon Park, in the Borough of Wandsworth, London, England, in the United Kingdom.
The Westminster Synagogue is an independent Progressive Jewish congregation and synagogue, located near Hyde Park, in Central London, England, in the United Kingdom. The synagogue is located in Kent House, a restored Victorian town house in Knightsbridge. The building, which dates from the late 1800s, also houses the Czech Memorial Scrolls Centre.
Maidenhead Synagogue is a Reform synagogue based in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It serves Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and surrounding districts west of London in the Thames Valley area.
Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 118 Stonegrove, Edgware, in the Borough of Barnet, London, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation is a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism and was formed in 2017 as a result of the merger between the Edgware & District Reform Synagogue and the Hendon Reform Synagogue communities. The merged community is located on the site of the former Edgware & District Reform Synagogue, and it is the largest synagogue in Europe; with a membership base of 2,500 families.
The Central Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 133-141 Great Portland Street, with additional frontage to Hallam Street, in the City of Westminster, London, England, in the United Kingdom. The congregation worships in the Ashkenazi rite and is a founding member of United Synagogue.
