It
was originally in the form of a Liberal community, which began in Leigh-on-Sea
in October 1946, the foundation committee being all male.SDRS and 'The Reform Movement'
History of 'The Reform Movement'
It
was originally in the form of a Liberal community, which began in Leigh-on-Sea
in October 1946, the foundation committee being all male.
Meetings were called weekly in a hall above shops in Leigh Road, and were inaugurated in 1947. The annual fees were £3 for a single member and £5 for a family, plus burial fees.
The synagogue moved to its present building in 1961, and the name was changed to ‘Southend Progressive Synagogue’. Looking back at the bulletin of that year the membership is still about the same size, but with fewer children unfortunately.
In March 1972, in a letter to the RSGB (Reform Synagogues of Great Britain) * it was announced that our synagogue was to be known as the ‘Southend and District Reform Synagogue’.
Our Hebrew name is the 'Congregation of Mount Sinai', and this is the name we have been promoting since our 50th Anniversary year.
* Now MRJ (Movement for Reform Judaism)
Our community officially became the Southend and District Reform Synagogue in 1972. A potted history of MRJ (Movement for Reform Judaism) is as follows:
1840 – Eighteen families broke away from Bevis Marks to form their own congregation along with six Ashkenazi families.
1841 – First Reform Prayer Book published.
1842 – West London Synagogue Opened in Burton Street. It moved to Upper Berkeley Street in 1870.
1856 – Manchester Synagogue established.
1931 – A new edition of ‘Forms of Prayer’ published.
1942 – Associated British Synagogues established, consisting of six synagogues.
1946 – ABS became the ‘Association of Synagogues in Great Britain’ (ASGB). ‘Youth Association of Synagogues in Great Britain’ (YASGB) established, later to become ‘Reform Synagogue Youth’ (RSY).
1948 – Reform Beth Bin established.
1949 – Assembly of Ministers established.
1956 – Leo Baeck College established (in 1964 the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues (ULPS) became co-sponsers).
1966 – Raymond Goldman appointed the first General Secretary (later Executive Director).
1977 – A new edition of ‘Forms of Prayer’ published.
1980 – Department of Education and Youth established, later to be called Centre for Jewish Education (CJE).
1981 – The Manor House Centre for Judaism opened (later renamed the Sternberg Centre for Juddaism). The Akiva School, the first Reform Jewish Day School was established.
1992 – Jubilee of RSGB now consisting of 37 synagogues, representing one in six of all synagogue-affiliated Jews.
1996 – Rabbi Tony Bayfield became Chief Executive.
2002 – RSGB now consisted of 43 synagogues with 25,000 members.
2003 – The Leo Baeck College and Centre for Jewish Education amalgamate.
2005 – In June RSGB became MRJ (Movement for Reform Judaism).
2008 – A new edition of ‘Forms of Prayer’ published.
