In 1840, the first Reform synagogue in the UK, The West London Synagogue, was established under the leadership of several prominent families dissatisfied with both the Sephardic and Ashkenazic synagogues, beginning a controversy that would last centuries to come. The Chief Rabbi at the time, Solomon Hirschell, dismissed the new synagogue for not adhering to …

The Chief Rabbinate, Too Frum?! Attacks from the Reform Movement Read More »

As the phrase goes, ‘words are our greatest weapons.’ The printing press created numerous rabbinic quarrels throughout the 19th century within the English Jewish community. Chief Rabbi of the Polish and German Jews in England, Solomon Hirschell, fell victim to controversy as did his predecessors. With different ideas and perspectives, came dispute amongst the Rabbis …

Printed Pamphlets: The Weapons of War against Chief Rabbi Hirschell Read More »

As Queen Elizabeth II nears her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of her reign, the Jewish community in Britain will be celebrating this royal occasion as they have done for centuries. “The United Synagogue: 150 Years of Service” features prayers and texts that have been composed in honour of the Royal Family for times of …

Our Anglo-Jewish Story Continues: Zvi Hirsch, the Frustrated Chief Rabbi Read More »

In 1765, Rabbi David Tevele Schiff was appointed the new rabbi of the Great Synagogue in London, only to find that the dust had not yet been settled between the rival Ashkenazi synagogues. Another rabbinic leader refused to acknowledge Rabbi Schiff’s authority, and this communal dispute continued to rage. The eventual triumph of Rabbi Schiff …

The Fraught Origins of the Chief Rabbinate Read More »

As the feud between the two Ashkenazi synagogues, the Great Synagogue and the Hambro Synagogue, subsided, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch was appointed Chief Rabbi of both communities. Yet, he began to grow frustrated with the lack of Jewish learning and he left the UK. Rabbi Zvi Hirsch frequently wrote his name and scholarly notes in the …

Our Anglo-Jewish Story Continues: Zvi Hirsch, the Frustrated Chief Rabbi Read More »

The very first Hebrew books printed in London for Jewish use were produced in 1707 by a non-Jewish publishing house and were neither prayer nor scholarly books, they are thought to be the earliest recorded rabbinic “machlokes” (controversy) within the Ashkenazi community in the U.K 

As the Jewish community became established in the U.K there was a demand for locally printed prayer books to replace those imported from elsewhere. The first Hebrew Siddur was accordingly printed in the U.K in 1770. It is exceedingly rare, perhaps because in the same year a more enterprising publisher produced a Hebrew-English version which …

The First Hebrew-Only Siddur Printed in England: An Almost Forgotten Treasure Read More »