The rabbi of Whitefield Hebrew Congregation has sent an “urgent” letter to congregants ahead of a special general meeting on Thursday night, imploring members to attend and vote against the synagogue executive’s “unfair” attempts to dismiss him.

Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag claims the shul executive’s stated grounds for proposing to make him and chazan Yossi Muller redundant do not stand up to scrutiny.

At the beginning of the month, the executive informed members that the situation had come about because the remuneration of the rabbi and chazan was taking “too much of WHC’s budget”.

But in his letter to congregants, Rabbi Guttentag challenged this, saying: “If this is a redundancy situation why is the executive proposing to bring in two new rabbis? It makes no sense.

“I believe that the real reason for my dismissal is both my age and my Orthodoxy.”

The JC understands that at an informal meeting held on Monday night attended by 200 people, former members of the shul executive put forward a very different picture of the shul’s finances.

In his letter, Rabbi Guttentag wrote: “I understand that there are sufficient monies within the budget of WHC to continue to employ and pay me. And the accounts are clear on this.”

He described how, for 30 years, he had “stood by you, and the members of your families, at so many happy times, of simchahs, barmitzvahs and weddings - and sadly at times of challenge and distress. With the backing and participation of the members of WHC, I have planned and provided many educational and spiritual opportunities for learning and Jewish growth for the whole spectrum of our members.”

He urged what he described as “the silent majority of the congregation” to attend the meeting and direct the executive to “please desist from your dismissal of the dedicated, long-serving and highly respected spiritual leaders of WHC”.

Thursday's SGM will allow members to vote on motions “to confirm the termination of the contract of employment” of Rabbi Guttentag and chazan Muller.

Organisations connected to the shul – its choir and the community kollel – have already registered strong opposition to the shuls proposals.