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Fears over closure of Bevis Marks

July 9, 2009 11:24

BySimon Rocker, Simon Rocker

1 min read

Members of Britain’s oldest synagogue, Bevis Marks in East London, have protested over plans which they fear could be a prelude to its closure as an active place of worship.

Around 70 congregants and supporters attended a meeting on Tuesday to voice concern over Sephardi leaders’ reported plan to remove its rabbi.

A letter from the Mahamad (executive) of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, denying any move to close the 300-year old synagogue, failed to reassure them.

In a statement, the synagogue’s committee said that members understood that a decision had been taken by the Mahamad “without consultation, to dispense with the services” of Rabbi Natan Asmoucha, who arrived from Zimbabwe to be the synagogue’s rabbi last year.