Sadness as East End shul shuts

MEMBERS OF one of the last synagogues in London’s East End have decided to call it a day.

The Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue — which opened in 1899 and is an affiliate of the Federation of Synagogues — is to be sold.

“It’s a sad moment for all of us,” said shul president Howard Michaels. “But most of our members are not local and we had trouble getting a minyan. It came to a point when our minister wasn’t well and was unable to take services. The last service was over a year ago.”

The congregation has agreed to transfer the building to the Federation, which will put the sale proceeds towards new projects.

In return, the Federation has made Fieldgate’s 180 congregants life members of the synagogue based at its Hendon headquarters, protecting their burial rights.

The organisation still has two synagogues in the East End, the Congregation of Jacob and East London Central (Nelson Street).

“A few still live in the East End,” Mr Michaels said. “They go to Nelson Street, which is literally five minutes’ walk. It still has Saturday services, which is great, but it’s getting harder and harder.”

Aged 68, he has close to 50 years’ association with the Whitechapel community, although he lives in Chigwell, Essex.

“We had members from all over the country, including Cornwall,” he pointed out. Fieldgate Street was built at a cost of £3,500 and amalg a m a t e d t h r e e local congregations whose premises were deemed unfit for use. In its heyday, it could seat more than 500. In recent years, a small band of loyalists tried to keep prayers going.

In 2009, after a lull of more than a year, monthly Shabbat services resumed and there was even a midnight selichot service in 2011.

The giant, neighbouring East London Mosque provided a grant towards the repair of the synagogue roof a few years ago.

No formal closing service has been held. But if the Federation decided to arrange one, “we’ll be happy to come”, Mr Michaels said.

‘We had members from all over the country, including Cornwall’