Bevis Marks Synagogue
Encyclopedia
----
Bevis Marks Synagogue is located off Bevis Marks
, in the City of London
. The synagogue, affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish
community, is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom
still in use. It is a Grade 1 listed building.
David Nieto
took spiritual charge of a congregation of Spanish and Portuguese Jews
(also called Sephardim) who met in a small synagogue in Creechurch Lane. A considerable influx of Jews made it necessary to obtain more commodious quarters. Accordingly a committee was appointed, consisting of António Gomes Serra, Menasseh Mendes, Alfonso Rodrigues, Manuel Nunez Miranda, Andrea Lopez, and Pontaleão Rodriguez. It investigated matters for nearly a year, and on February 12, 1699, signed a contract with Joseph Avis, a Quaker
, for the construction of a building to cost £2,750. Avis would later decline to collect his fee, on the ground that it was wrong to profit from building a house of God. On 24 June of the same year, the committee leased from Lady Ann Pointz (alias Littleton) and Sir Thomas Pointz (alias Littleton) a tract of land at Plough Yard, in Bevis Marks, for 61 years, with the option of renewal for a further 38 years, at £120 a year.
Avis began building at once, reportedly incorporating in the roof a beam from a royal ship presented to the community by Queen Anne
. The structure was completed and dedicated in 1701. With the exception of the roof (which was destroyed by fire in 1738 and repaired in 1749), it is today as it was over 300 years ago. The interior decor and furnishing and layout of the synagogue reflect the influence of the great Amsterdam Synagogue
of 1677.
In 1747 Benjamin Mendes da Costa
bought the lease of the ground on which the building stood, and presented it to the congregation, vesting the deeds in the names of a committee consisting of Gabriel Lopez de Britto, David Aboab Ozorio, Moses Gomes Serra, David Franco, Joseph Jessurun Rodriguez, and Moses Mendes da Costa.
Being located in the city's financial district, the synagogue suffered some collateral damage from the IRA
Bishopsgate bombing
in 1993, but it was later restored.
for a reduction in taxation (1736), the internecine quarrel among Jews in Barbados
(1753), and the aiding of seven-year-old Moses de Paz, who escaped from Gibraltar
in 1777 to avoid a forced conversion to Christianity.
As the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community grew and moved out of the City and East End of London to the West End and the suburbs, members demanded a new synagogue be built in the West End. When leadership refused that, members formed a breakaway synagogue in Burton Street, which later became the West London Synagogue
. In 1853 a branch synagogue was opened in Wigmore Street; in 1866 this moved to Bryanston Street, Bayswater
. Attendance at Bevis Marks declined so much that in 1886 a move to sell the site was contemplated; a "Bevis Marks Anti-Demolition League" was founded, under the auspices of H. Guedalla and A. H. Newman, and the proposed move was abandoned.
In 1896 a new synagogue was built at Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale
, as successor to the Bryanston Street synagogue.
The synagogue's most prominent feature is undoubtedly the beautiful Renaissance
-style ark
(containing the Torah
scrolls) located at the centre of the Eastern wall of the building. Both in its location and in its design, it is like the reredos
of the churches of the same period. Painted to look as though it is made of coloured Italian marble, it is in fact made entirely of oak.
Seven hanging brass candelabra symbolise the seven days of the week, the largest of which - hanging in the centre of the synagogue - represents the Sabbath. This central candelabrum was donated by the community of the Great Synagogue in Amsterdam, upon which Bevis Marks' interior is largely based. The candles are still lit today for weddings and the Jewish Festivals. The rest of the year the Synagogue is lit by the electric lights added in 1928.
Twelve pillars, symbolising the twelve tribes of Israel, support the women's gallery.
The synagogue contains benches running parallel to the side walls and facing inward, leaving two aisles for the procession with the Torah scrolls. In addition, backless benches at the rear of the synagogue, taken from the original synagogue at Creechurch Lane, date from 1657 and are still regularly used.
A number of seats in the synagogue are roped off as they belong or have belonged to notable people within the community. Two seats are reserved for the most senior officials of the congregation's publishing arm, Heshaim. Those that hold the positions are welcome to sit in them when visiting the synagogue, but they are otherwise kept vacant. A third seat, fitted with a footstool, has been withheld as it belonged to Sir Moses Montefiore, a very notable Jewish philanthropist. It is the seat nearest the Ark on the central row of the left half of the benches. It is only ever occupied by very senior dignitaries and it is considered a high honour to be allowed to sit in the seat. Recently Prince Charles sat in the seat during the tercentenary service, and Prime Minister Tony Blair for the service celebrating the 350th anniversary of the re-settlement of the Jews in Great Britain.
. The community's sheltered housing "Harris Court" and old-age home "Edinburgh House" are located there as well. A number of other Sephardic synagogues in Britain have associated status.
Bevis Marks Synagogue remains the flagship synagogue of the community and indeed of Anglo-Jewry in general. Regular daily, Sabbath morning and Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services are held. The synagogue remains a favoured venue for weddings and other landmark celebrations.
On Friday 13 November 1998, Lord Levene
of Portsoken
became the eighth Jewish Lord Mayor of London
. An Ashkenazi by birth, Lord Levene's first public act was to walk, with a retinue, from his official residence (Mansion House
) to Bevis Marks Synagogue, for the Sabbath Eve service.This was repeated on Friday 12 November 2010 by the then Lord Mayor Michael Bear
.
The tercentenary of the synagogue was celebrated in 2001 in the presence of Prince Charles.
On 13 June 2007 the 350th anniversary of the readmission of Jews to the British Isles was commemorated by a service at Bevis Marks Synagogue in the presence of Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks
, the Lord Mayor
, and Prime Minister Tony Blair
.
The synagogue is the only one in Europe which has had continuous services for over 300 years.
Bevis Marks Synagogue is located off Bevis Marks
Bevis Marks
Bevis Marks, classified as the A1211, is a street in Aldgate Ward in the City of London. Traffic runs northwest in a one-way direction into Camomile Street, and parallel to Houndsditch which runs southeast one-way.-History:...
, in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The synagogue, affiliated to London's historic Spanish and Portuguese Jewish
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
community, is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom
Oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom
The designation oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom requires careful definition. A number of synagogues that predate the expulsion of the Jews from England have been discovered by archaeologists or by historians in buildings that have been in use for other purposes for many centuries...
still in use. It is a Grade 1 listed building.
Construction
In 1698 RabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
David Nieto
David Nieto
David Nieto was the Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community in London, later succeeded in this capacity by his son, Isaac Nieto....
took spiritual charge of a congregation of Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
(also called Sephardim) who met in a small synagogue in Creechurch Lane. A considerable influx of Jews made it necessary to obtain more commodious quarters. Accordingly a committee was appointed, consisting of António Gomes Serra, Menasseh Mendes, Alfonso Rodrigues, Manuel Nunez Miranda, Andrea Lopez, and Pontaleão Rodriguez. It investigated matters for nearly a year, and on February 12, 1699, signed a contract with Joseph Avis, a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, for the construction of a building to cost £2,750. Avis would later decline to collect his fee, on the ground that it was wrong to profit from building a house of God. On 24 June of the same year, the committee leased from Lady Ann Pointz (alias Littleton) and Sir Thomas Pointz (alias Littleton) a tract of land at Plough Yard, in Bevis Marks, for 61 years, with the option of renewal for a further 38 years, at £120 a year.
Avis began building at once, reportedly incorporating in the roof a beam from a royal ship presented to the community by Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
. The structure was completed and dedicated in 1701. With the exception of the roof (which was destroyed by fire in 1738 and repaired in 1749), it is today as it was over 300 years ago. The interior decor and furnishing and layout of the synagogue reflect the influence of the great Amsterdam Synagogue
Amsterdam Esnoga
The Portuguese Synagogue also known as the Esnoga , or Snoge, is a 17th-century Sephardic synagogue in Amsterdam. Esnoga is the Ladino word for synagogue.-Background:...
of 1677.
In 1747 Benjamin Mendes da Costa
Benjamin Mendes da Costa
Benjamin Mendes da Costa was an English merchant and philanthropist. In July 1840 he emigrated to the newly settled colony of South Australia, becoming a successful merchant on Hindley Street and acquiring significant landholdings in the city centre...
bought the lease of the ground on which the building stood, and presented it to the congregation, vesting the deeds in the names of a committee consisting of Gabriel Lopez de Britto, David Aboab Ozorio, Moses Gomes Serra, David Franco, Joseph Jessurun Rodriguez, and Moses Mendes da Costa.
Being located in the city's financial district, the synagogue suffered some collateral damage from the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
Bishopsgate bombing
1993 Bishopsgate bombing
The Bishopsgate bombing occurred on 24 April 1993, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a truck bomb in London's financial district in Bishopsgate, City of London, England. One person was killed in the explosion and 44 injured, and damage initially estimated at £1 billion was caused...
in 1993, but it was later restored.
Influence
The Bevis Marks Synagogue was the religious center of the Anglo-Jewish world for more than a century, and served as a clearing-house for congregational and individual Jewish problems all over the world. These included the appeal of Jews in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
for a reduction in taxation (1736), the internecine quarrel among Jews in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
(1753), and the aiding of seven-year-old Moses de Paz, who escaped from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in 1777 to avoid a forced conversion to Christianity.
As the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community grew and moved out of the City and East End of London to the West End and the suburbs, members demanded a new synagogue be built in the West End. When leadership refused that, members formed a breakaway synagogue in Burton Street, which later became the West London Synagogue
West London Synagogue
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was established on 15 April 1840. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK.-History:...
. In 1853 a branch synagogue was opened in Wigmore Street; in 1866 this moved to Bryanston Street, Bayswater
Bayswater
Bayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the west . It is a built-up district located 3 miles west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens and having a population density of...
. Attendance at Bevis Marks declined so much that in 1886 a move to sell the site was contemplated; a "Bevis Marks Anti-Demolition League" was founded, under the auspices of H. Guedalla and A. H. Newman, and the proposed move was abandoned.
In 1896 a new synagogue was built at Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, as successor to the Bryanston Street synagogue.
Features
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-style ark
Ark (synagogue)
The Torah ark or ark in a synagogue is known in Hebrew as the Aron Kodesh by the Ashkenazim and as the Hekhál amongst most Sefardim. It is generally a receptacle, or ornamental closet, which contains each synagogue's Torah scrolls...
(containing the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
scrolls) located at the centre of the Eastern wall of the building. Both in its location and in its design, it is like the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
of the churches of the same period. Painted to look as though it is made of coloured Italian marble, it is in fact made entirely of oak.
Seven hanging brass candelabra symbolise the seven days of the week, the largest of which - hanging in the centre of the synagogue - represents the Sabbath. This central candelabrum was donated by the community of the Great Synagogue in Amsterdam, upon which Bevis Marks' interior is largely based. The candles are still lit today for weddings and the Jewish Festivals. The rest of the year the Synagogue is lit by the electric lights added in 1928.
Twelve pillars, symbolising the twelve tribes of Israel, support the women's gallery.
The synagogue contains benches running parallel to the side walls and facing inward, leaving two aisles for the procession with the Torah scrolls. In addition, backless benches at the rear of the synagogue, taken from the original synagogue at Creechurch Lane, date from 1657 and are still regularly used.
A number of seats in the synagogue are roped off as they belong or have belonged to notable people within the community. Two seats are reserved for the most senior officials of the congregation's publishing arm, Heshaim. Those that hold the positions are welcome to sit in them when visiting the synagogue, but they are otherwise kept vacant. A third seat, fitted with a footstool, has been withheld as it belonged to Sir Moses Montefiore, a very notable Jewish philanthropist. It is the seat nearest the Ark on the central row of the left half of the benches. It is only ever occupied by very senior dignitaries and it is considered a high honour to be allowed to sit in the seat. Recently Prince Charles sat in the seat during the tercentenary service, and Prime Minister Tony Blair for the service celebrating the 350th anniversary of the re-settlement of the Jews in Great Britain.
The synagogue today
Today the Spanish and Portuguese descendant community operates three synagogues. In addition to Bevis Marks, there is Lauderdale Road, which is the administrative headquarters, and a smaller synagogue in WembleyWembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. The community's sheltered housing "Harris Court" and old-age home "Edinburgh House" are located there as well. A number of other Sephardic synagogues in Britain have associated status.
Bevis Marks Synagogue remains the flagship synagogue of the community and indeed of Anglo-Jewry in general. Regular daily, Sabbath morning and Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services are held. The synagogue remains a favoured venue for weddings and other landmark celebrations.
On Friday 13 November 1998, Lord Levene
Peter Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken
Peter Keith Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken KBE is chairman of NBNK Investments plc and was Lord Mayor of London 1998 to 1999.-Life:Lord Levene has enjoyed a long and varied career in business, government and banking...
of Portsoken
Portsoken
Portsoken is a historical district in the City of London, located outside the former London Wall, on the eastern part of the City, near Aldgate. It is one of the 25 wards of the City....
became the eighth Jewish Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. An Ashkenazi by birth, Lord Levene's first public act was to walk, with a retinue, from his official residence (Mansion House
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
) to Bevis Marks Synagogue, for the Sabbath Eve service.This was repeated on Friday 12 November 2010 by the then Lord Mayor Michael Bear
Michael Bear (Lord Mayor)
Michael Bear was the 683rd Lord Mayor of London, whose one-year term began on 12 November 2010 and ended 11 November 2011. He is the Alderman of the ward of Portsoken and previously represented that Ward as Common Councilman and Deputy...
.
The tercentenary of the synagogue was celebrated in 2001 in the presence of Prince Charles.
On 13 June 2007 the 350th anniversary of the readmission of Jews to the British Isles was commemorated by a service at Bevis Marks Synagogue in the presence of Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
, the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
, and Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
The synagogue is the only one in Europe which has had continuous services for over 300 years.
Further reading
- Picciotto, James (1875). Sketches of Anglo-Jewish History, Trübner & Co.
- Newman, A. H. (1886). A Chapter of Anglo-Jewish History.
- JacobsJacobsJacobs may refer to:PeoplePlaces*Jacobs, Louisville, Kentucky, USA*Jacobs, Wisconsin, USA*St. Jacobs, Ontario, CanadaEducation*Jacobs School of Music, in Indiana University, Indiana, USA*Jacobs University Bremen, in GermanyOther uses...
and L. WolfLucien WolfLucien Wolf was an English Jewish journalist, historian, and advocate of Jewish rights.-Biography:He was the son of Edward Wolf, a London pipe manufacturer, and his wife Céline...
, Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica, No. 780, p. 116; No. 1332, p. 155; - Jewish Chronicle, May 31 and June 7, 1901;
- Rabbi Gaster, MosesMoses GasterMoses Gaster was a Romanian-born Jewish-British scholar, the Hakham of the Spanish and Portuguese congregation, London, and a Hebrew linguist. He was also the son-in-law of Michael Friedländer, principal of Jews' College. The surname Gaster is taken from Spanish Castro, indicating his Sephardic...
(1901). History of the Ancient Synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. - Hyamson, M.Moses HyamsonRabbi Dr. Moses Hyamson was an Orthodox rabbi, former head Dayan of the London Beth Din and between 1911 and 1913, acting Chief Rabbi of the British Empire...
(1951). The Sephardim of England: A History of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Community 1492–1951, London. - (1951). Treasures of a London temple: A descriptive catalogue of the ritual plate, mantles and furniture of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Synagogue in Bevis Marks, London. ASIN B0000CI83D.
- Lindsay Paul (1993). The Synagogues of London, Vallentine Mitchell.
- Krinsky, Carol HerselleCarol Herselle KrinskyCarol Herselle Krinsky Architectural historian, born in New York City, New York, USA. She studied at Smith College New York University, Krinsky is a professor of twentieth-century architectural history at New York University...
(1996). Synagogues of Europe: architecture, history, meaning, Courier Dover Publications, pp. 412–415. - Kadish, Sharman; Bowman, Barbara; and Kendall, Derek. (2001). Bevis Marks Synagogue 1701–2001: A Short History of the Building and an Appreciation of Its Architecture, English HeritageEnglish HeritageEnglish Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. ISBN 1-873592-65-5 - Frank, Ben G. (2001). A travel guide to Jewish Europe, Pelican Publishing, pp. 127–130.
- Kamins, Toni L. "TRAVEL ADVISORY; London Synagogue to Mark 300th Anniversary", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 26 August 2001, 23 November 2010. - Greene, Richard Allen. "At 300, Britain’s oldest shul wants a brand-new image", Jewish Telegraphic AgencyJewish Telegraphic AgencyThe Jewish Telegraphic Agency is an international news agency serving Jewish community newspapers and media around the world. The JTA was founded on February 6, 1917, by Jacob Landau as the Jewish Correspondence Bureau in The Hague with the mandate of collecting and disseminating news among and...
via Jweekly, 12 October 2001, accessed 23 November 2010. - Schroeter, Daniel J. (2002). The sultan's Jew: Morocco and the Sephardi world, Stanford University PressStanford University PressThe Stanford University Press is the publishing house of Stanford University. In 1892, an independent publishing company was established at the university. The first use of the name "Stanford University Press" in a book's imprinting occurred in 1895...
. - "Bevis Marks Synagogue", Jewish Communities and Records – UK, hosted by jewishgen.org, page created 17 March 2003 with subsequent updates, accessed 24 November 2010.
External links
- Bevis Marks Synagogue (Official Bevis Marks Synagogue Site)