Westminster Synagogue

The congregation was founded in 1957 by Rabbi Harold Reinhart, who resigned from his position as Senior Minister of the West London Synagogue and, accompanied by 80 former members of that synagogue, established the New London Jewish Congregation. Shortly afterwards it was renamed Westminster Synagogue. The congregation's earliest services were held at Caxton Hall, Westminster, from whose location the synagogue derives its name. In 1960 the congregation acquired Kent House opposite Hyde Park in Knightsbridge. Kent House was built in 1872–4 for Louisa Baring, Lady Ashburton. In 1909, Sir Saxton Noble acquired the house: in 1959, his son sold the building, before it was acquired by the…

Westminster Synagogue is a warm and welcoming independent community, which allows its members to practise Judaism in their own way without criticism or judgment. Their members are culturally diverse and come from many countries. Whilst they may have come from a variety of Jewish backgrounds, in Westminster Synagogue they enjoy a Jewish life that combines traditional roots and a progressive approach. A key feature of Westminster Synagogue is its founding principles. Their clarity and passion guided the synagogue’s rabbis – Harold Reinhart, Albert Friedlander, Thomas Salamon and Benji Stanley– throughout their ministries and serve to inspire Rabbi Kamila Kopřivová in her spiritual leadership…