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St John's Wood: A rich seam of Jewish life little more than a six-hit from Lord's

Four key shuls within a short walk of one another serve a diverse population. We get the lowdown on the NW8 community

June 7, 2018 14:25
Lord's, the 'Home of Cricket', lent a hand to the Liberal Jewish Synagogue after a bomb tore a hole through its roof
5 min read

St John’s Wood occupies a special place in British and Jewish life. Within a one-mile radius you can find the famous Abbey Road Studios and Lord’s cricket ground — and also four significant shuls.

The area falls almost entirely in Westminster borough, at the point where the city meets the suburbs. In parts it has the feel of a village, albeit with town centre traffic levels.
It is not the most overtly-Jewish area, although if you look closely, you can spot mezuzot on the doorways of some rather elegant properties.

In close proximity to the tube station stands the premises of St John’s Wood Synagogue, established in 1876 as the first new community under United Synagogue aegis.

It has been in its current home in Grove End Road since 1962 and although smaller in membership (1,500) than a clutch of US shuls to the north, it is considered one of the movement’s flagship congregations.