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| Above is an interior view of Congregation of Jacob shul. Note the glass roof above the bimah. This is intended to provide light for reading on Shabbat. Many East End synagogues were built to a similar design. The exterior of this building is barely noticeable from the road, but open the door and you enter an Aladdin's cave of riches with a cast of characters to match. |
| Left is the exterior of Nelson Street shul. It is an amalgamation of many other shuls that have closed. A plaque inside tells you their names. Unfortunately I do not have any interior photos, but inside it is very impressive. They follow the Sphardish tradition (not Sephardi) and use a prayerbook without an English translation |
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| Left is an interior of Sandys Row shul. It was founded by Dutch Jews in the C19th - note the orange colour scheme. Dutch Jews came to London as economic refugees They worked mainly in the tobacco trade. They were looked down on by the East European Jews who were themselves looked down on by the German Jews who in turn were looked down on by the Sephardi Jews..! |
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| Above is a view inside Fieldgate St shul looking up towards the ladies gallery. You can see inscriptions of the names of individuals who donated money for the shul's upkeep. Mostly these people were poor and worked in the tailoring industry. Nevertheless they gave what they could to create and maintain this beautiful synagogue |
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| In great contrast to the East End shuls is the Sephardi synagogue of Bevis Marks - interior view above. This is just on the Eastern edge of the city of London and a World away from the little shuls of Whitechapel. This is the oldest synagogue in UK (probably!) and was founded shortly after Jews were readmitted to the UK by Oliver Cromwell. Its members were wealthy business people of Spanish and Portugese origin. The Jews who arrived in London in the C19 and early C20 couldn't have been more different. They were poor, often illiterate and an embarrassment to the Sephardi and German Jews already settled in the UK. |
| So, where are all these synagogues? Here are the addresses: Congregation of Jacob: 351-353 Commercial Rd, London E1. Sandys Row Synagogue: 4a Sandys Row, London E1 Fieldgate St Great Synagogue: 41 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London E1. Bevis Marks Synagogue: Bevis Marks, London E3. Princelet St Synagogue (now a museum): 19 Princelet Street, London E1 Nelson Street Synagogue: (otherwise known as The East London Synagogue) Nelson Street, London E1. Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue: 41 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London E1 |
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| This is the Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor in Brune Street, Spitalfields, London E1. This closed around 1990. There are still approx 3000 Jews living in this area. Before World War 1 there were several hundred thousand Jews crowded into the Whitechapel area, and institutions like this played a vital role in the community. |
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| There is a suggestion from the Orthodox powers that be that these historic synagogues will be opened to visitors once a month on Sunday mornings as heritage centres. (December 2002) |
| Nelson Street Synagogue |
| Congregation of Jacob |
| Sandys Row Synagogue |
| Fieldgate Street Synagogue |
| Bevis Marks Synagogue |
| Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor |