Members of the New West End Synagogue have been told that their rabbi, Dr Moshe Freedman, has left it, nearly a year since he last officiated there.

His absence from the United Synagogue community in central London since May 2022 has remained unexplained.

In a short statement on Thursday night, leaders of the synagogue announced that Rabbi and Rebbetzen Freedman had left and thanked them for their service.

They said that they and the leadership of the United Synagogue “fully appreciate that not having full-time rabbinic cover over the last year has been difficult.

“We thank all the rabbis who have come to lead our services and support us during this challenging time, in particular Rabbi [Yossi] and Rebbetzen Fachler, who will continue as our interim rabbinic couple until further notice.”

They added that they would “be exploring all avenues to appoint a new permanent rabbi or rabbinic couple and will be shortly announcing our next steps.”

A member of the synagogue’s council said of Rabbi Freedman’s departure: “I don’t know what the reason is, it’s just a mystery.”

He described Rabbi Freedman as a “good chap” but said this week’s announcement “allows us to move on”.

Rabbi Freedman joined the synagogue in 2015 after six years at Northwood United.

The New West End is one of the few Grade I-listed synagogues in the country and one of the small number still with a choir.