United Synagogue

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For the American Conservative synagogue association, see United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an act of parliament, in 1870. As of 2005, it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community, and takes its religious authority from the Chief Rabbi of Britain.

From 1866, Nathan Marcus Adler was instrumental in bringing together the United Synagogue, a union of the three City of London synagogues—the Great Synagogue, the New Synagogue, and the Hambro Synagogue—and their branch synagogues at Great Portland Street and Bayswater.

Its direct work has always been confined to the metropolis, but it has exercised, indirectly, considerable influence over the Jews of the British Empire and British Commonwealth. It is governed by an elected council representing the constituent congregations. In religious and ritual matters it is under the jurisdiction of the Chief Rabbi. The president of the United Synagogue in 1910 was Lord Rothschild.

Besides providing the worship of some twenty congregations, the United Synagogue directs and supports educational and charitable work. The title chief rabbi is not found in the pre-expulsion records, though, before the Jews were banished in 1290, there was an official named presbyter omnium Judaeorum Angliae. The functions of this official cannot be proved to have been ecclesiastical. The title Chief Rabbi became well known through the eminence of occupants of the position such as Adler's immediate predecessor Solomon Hirschell (1762-1842).