Page:The Dalston Synagogue-an historical sketch.djvu/12

 of the North London Synagogue, whose fears for their financial stability were no less keen than they had been a decade earlier. Having himself gone through the experience of seeing a new Synagogue opened in close proximity to his own, he was able to some extent to sympathise with the misgivings of the North London Synagogue. When the new West End Synagogue opened, he confessed to a certain feeling of sadness when, on the first Sabbath after the consecration, he missed many familiar and respected faces. But soon he recognised that the Synagogue had not suffered, and Judaism had gained. At the conclusion of the sermon, Dr. Adler opened the Ark, and the Rev. H. Gollancz read the prayer for the Royal Family. The service was then brought to a termination by the singing of the 150th Psalm.

The hon. officers and members of the Board of Management who held office at the time of the inauguration of the new Synagogue were as follows: President, Mr. Freeman Cohen; Vice-President, Mr. M. A. Rozelaar; Treasurer, Mr. S. Simons, with Messrs. M. Bentwich, J. Chapman, C. Cohen, M. Eppenheim, E. Gompers, S. Hess, P. Leuw, L. Lazarus, and M. J. Winkel. They had been elected in the previous April. Having now become incorporated in the United Synagogue, it was necessary to elect three representatives at the Council. At a general meeting held on September 6th, the choice of the members fell on Messrs. S. Simons, S. F. Cohen, and M. Bentwich.

The old iron building, which had now been vacated, was eventually sold to the South Hackney Congregation for £80.

The remarkable growth of the Jewish population of Dalston about this period was exhibited in the following circumstance. When a proposal was made to introduce one or two slight modifications, sanctioned by the Chief Rabbi, in the order of the service, it was decided to ascertain the views of the Congregation in regard to these proposed changes by means of a referendum. The result of the referendum was overwhelmingly in favour of the changes; whereupon two members of the Congregation led a secession, and so great was the number of Jewish residents in the district, that they found no difficulty in forming a new Congregation without causing any serious loss to Dalston. This Congregation, established in 1887 in Sandringham Road, has since developed into the Stoke Newington Synagogue. With this Synagogue Dalston has always maintained the friendliest relations, for although it was realised that the admission of Stoke Newington into the Union would entail inevitable financial loss on the older Congregation owing to the close contiguity of the two places of worship, yet no opposition was raised to its erection, because it was recognised that, although Dalston might suffer, North London Jewry would necessarily gain.

The year 1887 is especially memorable in the annals of the Dalston Synagogue for the retirement from office of Mr. Freeman Cohen. He had guided the destinies of the Congregation for a space of nine years, and had been at the helm during its transition period from the "iron" to the "brick" age. A generous tribute was paid to his work by Mr. M. A. Rozelaar, as the mouthpiece of the Congregation, at the general election of 1887. On June 7th of the same year he passed away, to the widespread sorrow of the community. His place as Warden was taken by Mr. M. Kruszinski.