North Western Reform Synagogue


The North Western Reform Synagogue, commonly known as Alyth, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at Temple Fortune, Golders Green, in the Borough of Barnet, north-west London, England, in the United Kingdom.

Overview

The congregation was founded in 1933. Its building, designed by the architect Fritz Landauer, was built in Alyth Gardens in 1936, on land carved out from the West London Synagogue’s cemetery in Hoop Lane. In 1942, the congregation became a founding member of Associated British Synagogue, now known as the Reform Judaism. With approximately 2,500 adult and 1,000 child members, the congregation is one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United Kingdom.
In 2021, its members approved a 6 million upgrade to the synagogue building, which is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Clergy

The following individuals have served as rabbi of the congregation:
No.RabbiNotes
1Solomon Starrels19331938
2Maurice Perlzweig19381942Also chair of the World Union of Jewish Students in 1933 and had helped to create the World Jewish Congress
Vivian Simmons19421943Acting, on secondment from West London Synagogue
3Dr Werner van der Zyl19431958Also founder and president of Leo Baeck College
4Philip Cohen19581972-
5Dow Marmur19721983-
6Charles Emanuel19832003-
720032011Became Senior Rabbi at the Movement for Reform Judaism in 2011
8Mark Goldsmith20062019Became Senior Rabbi at Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue in 2019
9Josh Levy20082023Emeritus; became Chief Executive of the Movement for Reform Judaism in 2023
10Colin Eimer2015incumbent-
11Hannah Kingston2017incumbent-
12Elliott Karstadt2020incumbent-
13Golan Ben-Chorin2024incumbent-

Notable members