Further cuts in membership fees are being implemented at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue to help congregants in financial difficulty.

The latest reductions of an average eight per cent mean that a member in his early 30s could pay under £150 a year.

Treasurer Henry Ejdelbaum said the perception of the West End shul as a rich man’s synagogue was wide of the mark. “Our membership has much the same sort of social profile as any other synagogue you might mention and our members are suffering in the current economic climate. One indication of its effect is that I am having to deal with many extra calls for rebates based on hardship, among other reasons. These have totalled some £70,000 this past year — a 25 per cent increase.”

Mr Ejdelbaum has been instrumental in cutting expenditure since his appointment two years ago. “The savings we have made by curbing our costs and improving efficiency really belong to our members and this is how we are reimbursing them.”