New West End Synagogue

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Exterior

Interior

The New West End Synagogue, located in St. Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London, is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom still functioning. It is one of two synagogues which have been awarded Grade I listed status by the British government and has been described by English Heritage as "the architectural high watermark of Anglo-Jewish architecture". It is the UK's most popular venue for synagogue weddings and can accommodate approximately 800 people.

Designed by George Audsley of Scotland, the foundation stone was laid on June 7, 1877 by Leopold de Rothschild in the presence of the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Nathan Marcus Adler, and the building was formally opened on March 30, 1879.

In August 2007, the New West End Synagogue ws declared a national monument, on a par with Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the State of Israel, and Herbert Samuel, the British High Commissioner for Palestine during the British Mandate, were both members of the synagogue. Their seats are marked with plaques. The synagogue's first rabbi was Simeon Singer, who translated and edited the Authorized Daily Prayer Book, which is still used in Orthodox synagogues across Great Britain.^[1]

The synagogue, which is a constituent of the United Synagogue (Orthodox), serves the Jewish communities of Bayswater, Notting Hill, Kensington, Hammersmith and West London. Opened in 1879, it has in recent years enjoyed a major communal renaissance under the leadership of Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler and his wife Anne.

The New West End provides a full range of communal activities for all ages and tastes. These include regular children's services for the under 5s and over 5s; Hebrew classes for children up to Bar or Bat Mitzvah age; the NWE Young Professionals Group; regular adult education seminars and lectures; a keep fit group for ladies; an active social committee; a Guild, which organises a range of lectures, outings and charitable activities; an Israel Group which arranges lectures and briefings on the Middle East by experts from all sides of the political spectrum; a Cares Group, which ensures that elderly and infirm members receive regular contact; and a Friendship Club, which meets monthly for more senior members.

Details of all these activities, as well as timetables of current events, contact details, and many more pictures of the interior are featured on the synagogue's website.