Our History and Merger

The opening of the Northern Line to Edgware in 1924, and subsequently the extension of the Bakerloo Line to Stanmore in 1932 set the seal on the future of Edgware as an area of population growth. In the 1920s and early ‘30s there was a steady increase in both the general population and the Jewish inhabitants of Edgware and Stanmore, and by 1930 several hundred Jewish families were living in the area. On November 1st 1934 thirteen dissatisfied members of the recently established Edgware United Synagogue decided to form a club which would in itself be a stepping stone to a new congregation.

A temporary committee was formed and the next three months saw a furious rate of activity. Committee meetings were held every few days, a variety of problems being addressed. At an early stage it was agreed that the new body would be called “Edgware and District Progressive Jewish Fellowship”. At that time the only Reform congregations in London were the West London Synagogue in Upper Berkeley Street and the North Western Reform Synagogue in Golders Green. The West London Synagogue and its minister, Rabbi Reinhart, had been very helpful in advising the Edgware committee about setting up an independent synagogue, and in December 1934 Rabbi Reinhart had addressed. a public meeting in Edgware on “The Problems of Judaism Today”. In January 1935 the West London Synagogue offered practical help by way of taking the Edgware children into its religion classes, without charge, provided that the children could be delivered and collected. Matters approached a climax during the first week of February 1935. Discussions had been held with officials at West London Synagogue on the practices of Reform, and the new body in Edgware decided to become a part of the Reform movement.

On February 12th 1935 it was formally decided to form a synagogue to be called “Edgware and District Reform Synagogue”