Family’s race to save synagogue’s historic stained glass windows

Descendants of a Russian refugee who co-founded a Golders Green synagogue are appealing help to save its historic stained glass windows.

Joe Mordsley was one of the founders of the Sinai synagogue at Woodstock Avenue, which first opened for his son Barry’s barmitzvah in January 1960.

Speaking to Jewish News, Jessica Mordsley says her grandfather, a kohen, died in the synagogue itself during a service on 2nd January 1965: “He was much loved by the congregation and the members of the shul created a stained glass window in his honour”.

The window dedicated to Joe is one of many and Jessica describes them as “extremely beautiful”, firmly believing that “they hold artistic, cultural, and historic significance”.

She adds that the windows are “specifically Jewish, which in itself is rare. They feature significant amounts of Hebrew writing, and depict scenes from the Torah and other religious and cultural Jewish imagery, which is very unusual to see. In my life I’ve been to many shuls, and can’t remember ever seeing comparable windows elsewhere”.

She adds that the windows “commemorate many of those who first came to the UK and were part of founding one of London’s longest standing and most significant Jewish communities in Golders Green”.

Despite her family’s dedication to Joe’s memory, Jessica tells Jewish News that “it is not just my grandfather’s window at stake; there are many more very beautiful stained glass windows in the synagogue, most of them dedicated to specific members and all created to a high standard and of unusual artistic and historical interest”.

Having recently visited Sinai shul, Jessica confirms that the stained glass windows are still in situ. However, she adds that “the synagogue member that we spoke to confirmed that they plan to remove them as soon as possible.”

According to the Mordsley family, the reasons given to them by the synagogue for wanting to remove the windows are “energy efficiency, security and to modernise”.

In response, Jessica has shared with them historic environment organisation Historic England’s report and guidance on conserving stained glass windows and improving their energy efficiency.

Historic England advised the family: “Unfortunately, although the stained glass is of high quality, the building, which is architecturally undistinguished and of late 20th century date, would certainly not be a likely candidate for listing.

“Accordingly, there is unfortunately no means at our disposal of saving these windows from removal, and I am sorry we cannot provide any real assistance here. But we sympathise with your disappointment with the synagogue’s decision to remove the windows, which will be a detriment to the building and, as you have explained, a loss to the local community.”

She tells Jewish News that “the argument ‘to modernise is valuable in itself’ seems to be an inadequate and unconvincing reason to remove these very valuable, beautiful, and unusual windows”.

Barry tells Jewish News: “I have a very close connection to the shul as it opened for my barmitzvah in January 1960. My father passed away in January 1965 on  a Shabbat morning  in the shul. He was much loved there and the members clubbed together to donate a stained glass window dedicated to him. I am devastated that the windows in the synagogue are being removed, apparently without good reason, because they are beautiful, because they relate many to the founders of the shul(like my father) and because they explain so much of Jewish culture and heritage. Their removal smacks of cultural barbarism.”

Jessica adds that, with time “very much not on our side, I feel we should at the very least attempt to highlight the destruction of these beautiful and historic windows and to commemorate them, in the event that they cannot be saved.

“Our ideal would be to convince the shul not to destroy them without needing to involve outside organisations; however, I am not confident that this will succeed. For some reason certain members seem determined to get rid of them.”

Jewish News approached Sinai synagogue for comment.