Chief Rabbi to officially close Wembley United Synagogue building after almost 60 years
More than 300 guests expected for emotional farewell to Forty Avenue synagogue as the community, down from 1,800 to just 150 families, prepares to move to a smaller home nearby.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will attend a final farewell for Wembley United synagogue as it moves out of its iconic building on Forty Avenue after almost 60 years.
The community has been in existence since the late 1920s and in its current location since the 1960s. It will transfer to a converted, detached house nearby in Wembley Park Drive in the new year; until then services at Forty Avenue will continue as normal.
The event on Sunday 11 December marks the shul’s final public occasion. It will feature a performance by cantorial singers and personal accounts of the shul’s rise and fall; it once had the largest cheder in the United Synagogue (US).
Outgoing US chief executive Steven Wilson, who was brought up in the community and comedian Paul Kaye will also attend.
Synagogue chairman Charles Vitez said: “I love this place but it’s no longer practical. I’ve been here since 1961 when we had 1,800 families. Today it’s around 150.”
Synagogue member Brenda Hyman told Jewish News: “Downsizing is the obvious choice. We’re sad to say goodbye to our old home but it carries wonderful memories.”
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