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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Whether a local or a visitor, you will find Jewish London informative and easy to use. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is up to date but restaurants and shops can close, galleries change their displays and opening hours and prices can vary. Basic opening-hours information for most listings is given but places often close on public holidays, Jewish festivals, etc. so call or consult websites before visiting. Unless otherwise stated, admission to the museums, galleries, etc. is free.

Telephone numbers provided are for calls made within the UK. For calls to the UK from outside the UK, the country code is 44 and the first ‘0’ should be omitted. For example, a call to 020 8343 6255 from USA/Canada will be 011 44 20 8343 6255, and from Europe/Israel will be 00 44 20 8343 6255.

Some Hebrew terminology is included. Please refer to the Glossary on here.

CAFES, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS

Most of the cafés, shops and restaurants listed in this book are kosher. In the listings we state which kashrut authorities provide their licences and supervision. They are shown by the following abbreviations:

LBD – London Beth Din Kashrut Division: affiliated to the United Synagogue ( 020 8343 6255; www.kosher.org.uk).

SKA – Sephardi Kashrut Authority: under the auspices of the Sephardi Beth Din ( 020 7289 7663; www.sephardikashrut.org).

Kedassia – the kashrut division of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and Adath Yisroel representing the haredi communities in the UK ( 020 8349 9160; email: shechita@theproffice.com).

West London Synagogue (see here).

KF – under the auspices of the kashrut division of the Federation of Synagogues Beth Din ( 020 8202 2263; www.kfkosher.org.uk).

LBS – London Board for Shechita: licences kosher retail butchers to provide fresh meat and poultry, and provides kashrut seals for pre-packed kosher products ( 020 8349 9160; www.shechita.co.uk).

For more information see www.hechshers.info.

The Really Jewish Food Guide published regularly by the London Beth Din provides a comprehensive guide to thousands of approved products, and monthly updates are available on www.kosher.org.

All the cafés and restaurants mentioned in ‘Jewish London on Foot’ (see here) are unsupervised unless otherwise stated.

SYNAGOGUES

Synagogues mentioned in this book are either independent or members of, or affiliated to, the following organizations:

United Synagogue: founded in 1870, this is the largest UK synagogal organization, currently comprising 62 Modern Orthodox synagogues (www.theus.org.uk).

Federation of Synagogues: established in 1887 as an umbrella organization for the growing number of small Orthodox immigrant communities. It currently comprises 23 Orthodox synagogues (www.federationofsynagogues.com). (See here.)

Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations: founded in 1926 to protect traditional Judaism, it acts as an umbrella organization for the Haredi Jewish community, including the Adath Yisroel synagogues.

Masorti: The New London Synagogue (see here), established in 1964, was the first Masorti synagogue. Masorti Judaism is devoted to traditional Judaism combined with a modern understanding of religious thought and practice. There are 15 Masorti synagogues in the UK (www.masorti.org.uk).

Reform Judaism: established in 1840, and currently comprises 42 synagogues in the UK. It states that its roots are in ancient Jewish tradition but that Jewish law has to be freshly interpreted in every generation (www.reformjudaism.org.uk).

Liberal Judaism: founded in 1902 and currently comprises over 30 synagogues in the UK. It states that it is the Judaism of the past in the process of becoming the Judaism of the future (www.liberaljudaism.org). (See here.)

Visiting Synagogues and Cemeteries

Synagogues are not generally kept open for visits outside service times although visitors are always welcome to attend services.

When attending services at an Orthodox synagogue you should dress appropriately. Men should cover their heads and women should dress modestly wearing a skirt or dress, not trousers. Married women should wear a hat. For services at Masorti and Progressive synagogues, the dress code is more relaxed but you may want to contact individual synagogues in advance to clarify. To avoid compromising standards of kashrut in the synagogue, food and drink should not be taken in. On Shabbat, the use of mobile phones and cameras is not permitted.

As Jewish burial grounds are also sacred places, the above advice for dress and conduct should be followed. Additionally, it is forbidden to walk over or step on any grave. On leaving a cemetery it is customary to wash your hands and facilities are made available.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

For most listings, the nearest tube station and approximate walking times are shown. Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) is an excellent resource for planning how to travel between two locations.

MAP KEY

	Walking route
	Places of interest
	Tube station
	Overground station
	Docklands Light Railway station Mainline station
	Bus stop
	Open synagogue – operating synagogue providing services and communal activities
	Closed synagogue – closed to membership but the building remains