Historic Sandys Row synagogue eyes heritage centre expansion

Sandys Row Synagogue in Spitalfields has enlisted the Foundation for Jewish Heritage to explore adding a heritage centre on the Jewish East End.

The oldest surviving Ashkenazi synagogue in London is a Grade II listed Georgian building, acquired by a group of immigrant Dutch Jews in the 19th century.

While Sandys Row’s membership has inevitably declined, the synagogue benefits from being close to the City and hosts a busy weekday lunchtime minyan for local workers.

The synagogue also receives increasing numbers of visitors including school groups wanting to learn about the East End and its various immigrant communities.

The heritage centre idea arose from this growing interest and a feasibility study will test the idea consulting with local organisations and potential audiences.

Henry Freedman, synagogue board member said: “My family has been connected with Sandys Row since its very founding. It is a gem of a place in what is now a very busy and attractive part of London. The idea of a heritage centre is something we have been considering for some time and we are delighted to now be working with the Foundation for Jewish Heritage to take forward the concept.”

Michael Mail, chief executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, said: “Sandys Row stands as an important testament to the once great East End Jewish community. The Jewish presence in, and contribution to, the area was enormous, and Sandys Row is the perfect place to tell that story.”

The Foundation’s flagship project is the Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre being developed at the grade II listed former Merthyr Tydfil synagogue with National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government support.

The East End was at one time the centre of the largest Jewish community in the UK, with more than 50 synagogues. Today Sandys Row is one of only two functioning shuls that remain; a legacy of a once vibrant Jewish life that has become largely forgotten in the area.