UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will be a guest at a farewell event for London’s Wembley United Synagogue which is closing after nearly 60 years in its present location.
The congregation is moving out of its longtime building into a smaller venue due to dwindling numbers, the UK Jewish News reported.
The community, which began in the late 1920s, will continue to hold services in a detached house that has been converted into a synagogue located nearby.
The event on December 11 will be the synagogue’s last public gathering. It will include cantorial singing and stories from members about the synagogue’s history and legacy.
Wembley United Synagogue once boasted the largest congregated in the United Synagogues (US).
Synagogue chairman Charles Vitez told the news outlet: “I love this place but it’s no longer practical. I’ve been here since 1961 when we had 1,800 families. Today it’s around 150.”
Rabbi Mirvis previously joined the congregation in December 2018 to celebrate 90 years since the founding of the community.
“Chief Rabbi Mirvis joined Rabbi Simon Harris and members of Wembley Shul at a lunch to celebrate 90 years since the founding of their community. The Chief Rabbi was welcomed by Chairman Charles Vitez, and he spoke about the seeds of Jewish life which had been planted and nurtured by community members over the decades,” the synagogue said in a statement.
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