Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue

The congregation became affiliated with United Synagogue in 1946, becoming a district synagogue in 1952 and subsequently a constituent (member) synagogue.[3]

Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has previously been called "Stanmore and Canons Park District Synagogue" and "Canons Park & District Hebrew Congregation".[3]

• The current building (Main Shul) was consecrated on 18 March 1951 (Jewish Date: 10th Adar 5711) by Dayan Dr I. Grunfeld and Isaac Wolfson Esq.. The Synagogue was actually built facing north rather than east (towards Jerusalem).
• The community centre was consecrated on 8 September 1963. The Freeman Susman Hall (above the community centre) is actually bigger than the main synagogue itself.
• The corridor between the main synagogue and the community centre was widened in an extension in 2002. As part of the extension a garden was established at the front of the building.
• The synagogue added a lift in 2008 so that disabled members could access all parts of the building.
• In 2014 the main shul was refurbished as well as half of the classrooms.

Rabbi Dr Jeffrey Cohen retired from the rabbinate in January 2006 after a distinguished career, the last 20 years of which he was rabbi of Stanmore Synagogue in N.W. London, with the largest membership of any Orthodox congregation in Europe. Rabbi Cohen has been hailed as a champion of Modern Orthodoxy, and has strongly promoted that philosophy, for some 40 years, within the Anglo-Jewish rabbinate, in the pages of the Anglo-Jewish press, and in his own writings. In that capacity, he was invited, at its inception, to become the rabbinic adviser and a governor of Immanuel College.

Rabbi Cohen is an avid author who has written many books, journals and articles including the "1001 questions on....." festivals. He published more than 23 books in the past 20 years[4] with the most recent being 'Genesis in Poetry' which has proved to be most popular, and Rabbi Jeffrey is in great demand, by schools, synagogue and literary groups, to give poetry readings.

Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue is well known for its youth activities. Stanmore provides a huge variety of programmes for the youth of the community. This includes trips, plays, youth clubs, Jewish Learning and external groups. Stanmore is also well known for its "Learn To Lead" programme, which is now also used in Bushey, Radlett, Edgware and many other communities following its enormous success in Stanmore.

• Stanmore and Cannons Park Synagogue has a weekly leaflet that is given out on Friday night and Saturday morning. The front cover contains details about the Parashah and a thought from the Rabbi. The middle pages list any celebrations and bereavements in the past week and a list of events happening in the following week. The back page shows which members of the community will be leading/ participating in various sections of the prayer. The leaflet was started in 1994.
• The Youth Service produce their own leaflet called Achlah (meaning 'Cool' in Hebrew). It was started in 2004 and the name was briefly changed to T-Weekly mid-2007.
• The synagogue produces a biannual magazine called the Habima.
• Stanmore has its own Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) book, which features a picture of the synagogue on the cover. The book includes Kiddush, Shabbat Zemirot (songs that are traditionally sung on Shabbat), songs for Seudah Shlishit (third meal) and finally Birkat Hamazon.
• The shul provide the Daf Hashevua, which is a leaflet distributed to all United Synagogue shuls.[10]
• The shuls' members compiled a series of essay and thoughts on each week's Parasha which was named 'The Friday Night Companion'.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue.

• Official website
• Stanmore Learning Centre
• Stanmore Youth Youtube Page
• Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue on Jewish Communities and Records – UK (hosted by jewishgen.org).