WELCOME

ABOUT US

NPLS is a lively, warm and inclusive community with members of all ages. We welcome all Jews and non-Jewish spouses and partners and their children and encourage everyone to play a full, equal and active role in our communal life.

Our community was founded in 1964 by 30 families and today it has grown to become the largest Liberal Jewish Synagogue outside of central London with over 1100 adult and 300 younger members.

We are proud to be led by some of Liberal Judaism’s most respected and dynamic rabbis: Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Rabbi Lea Mühlstein and Cantor Tamara Wolfson.

Our Synagogue is governed by a Board of members who are elected at an Annual General Meeting and who serve a two-year term of office.

Take a look around our website for more information about NPLS and if you would like any further information please contact us.

Our Czech Heritage

Our Board

Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue is governed by a Board of members who are elected by our members at an Annual General Meeting. Each Board member serves a two-year term of office.

All of our board members generously volunteer their time to support the good governance and smooth running of our Synagogue and its premises. Many share their professional expertise ensuring that NPLS has access to a body of expert knowledge to assist our operation. The current Board is performed by the following members:

Chair – Leslie Moss

Vice Chair – Susan Boobis

Hon. Treasurer – Philip Austin

Hon. Secretary – Nicole Hershon

Mary Pearmain – Minutes Secretary

Philip Aarons, Maurice Ashkenazi-Bakes, Richard Colin, Carole Jordan and Ben Rickayzen

President – Spencer Cowan

Vice Presidents – Stephen Herman, Brian Sass

At NPLS we also run a Shadow Board. This is a small team of members who help to perform non-governance roles that support the running of the Synagogue and who we hope in time, will take leadership positions in our community.

If you have a question for our Board or would like to explore the possibility of becoming a member of the Board, please do get in touch here. If you are interested in learning more about our Shadow Board then contact Rabbi Aaron Goldstein.

Our History

2010s

In 2013 Rabbi Lea Mühlstein was appointed as second rabbi of the community.

In 2014 we celebrated the 50^th anniversary of NPLS. Our members came together for celebratory worship and a wonderful party.

In May 2015 we opened the doors to our Ark to the first Torah scroll commissioned especially for our Synagogue. The new lightweight Torah was finished with the help of 41 of our members who with our wonderful scribe, wrote the final letters onto the Scroll.

In early 2018, we digitised the oral histories interviews that were recorded in 1987/1988 in which members were interviewed about what it was like to be a Jew before and during the Second World War.

In July 2018 we appointed our first cantor, Cantor Tamara Wolfson.

Membership of NPLS has now grown to grown to some 1100 adults and approximately 300 children and junior members under 18 years of age.

2000s

In 2001 the first annual programme for Holocaust Memorial week was run jointly with Northwood United Synagogue. 600 local children attended. After 20 years heavy use, the synagogue was refurbished. The first Jewish Arts Week programme took place.

In the same year NPLS appointed its first paid Care Coordinator Jackie Goodman to take over the pastoral support previously undertaken by Mrs Sharon Goldstein.

In 2003 a strategic review of the Synagogue took place and a management committee was established.

2004-5 saw celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the congregation including an appeal which raised £40,000 to buy an ambulance for Magen David Adom. In 2006 Rabbi Andrew preached and the synagogue choir sang in Lincoln Cathedral.

In 2006 Rabbi Aaron Goldstein was appointed Assistant Rabbi and in 2008 Rabbi Andrew retired and was succeeded by Rabbi Aaron. Rabbi Hillel Athias-Robles was appointed assistant rabbi, and he retired in 2012.

1990s

Rabbi Marcia Plumb was appointed Associate Rabbi 1990, followed by Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith as assistant in 1994 and Rabbi Rachel Benjamin in 1998.

In 1990 the NPLS branch in Amersham was established as an independent community – the South Bucks Jewish Community.

In 1994 following a generous donation and an appeal part of the buildings which had been let were taken back and the Osorio Hall and additional classrooms were created. In 1995 the Etz Chayim Gallery was established in the Osorio Hall.

In 1996 Judi Herman wrote “Stones of Kolín” which was subsequently performed both at Sadlers Wells in London and – as part of an NPLS trip – in the town of Kolín.

1980s

The new synagogue was dedicated in 1981. Later that year an Ark Surround was rescued from the Cemetery Chapel in Kolín (Czechoslovakia) and reassembled in our synagogue as a permanent memorial to the many Jews from Kolín who were transported to the concentration camps by the Nazis.

By 1982 the congregation had out grown its new building for High Holy Days services which were subsequently held in Watford.

In 1984 two part time administrators Ingrid Squires and Avril Witte were employed.

In 1987 the first synagogue retreat to Charney Manor took place, as did a trip to Spain, the first of many overseas trips to places of Jewish interest. The memorial Tree of Remembrance was consecrated.

1970s

Andrew Goldstein was ordained as a Rabbi in 1970 and inducted as Minister in that September.

In 1977 the site for new Synagogue was acquired in Oaklands Gate Northwood and with successive appeals £250,000 was raised for construction.

Rabbi Goldstein’s Yom Kippur address in 1978 was the starting point for NPLS connection with Czech and Slovak Jewry.

1960s

Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS) began life as the Pinner & District Liberal Synagogue in 1964 with 30 families. The first meetings were held at West House in Pinner.

Student rabbi Andrew Goldstein was appointed as Principal of the Religion School in 1965 and acting minister in 1967.

In 1966 the congregation moved to a former Methodist hall in Hallowell Road Northwood and changed its name to Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue.

Our Rabbis, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Chairpersons and Chatanei

Rabbis
Charles Familiant	1964
Andrew Goldstein	Minister 1967- 1970 Rabbi and Senior Rabbi 1970 – 2008 Rabbi Emeritus 2008
Marsha Plumb	Associate 1990 -1991
Frank Dabba Smith	Assistant 1994 – 1997
Rachel Benjamin	Assistant 1998 – 2004
Aaron Goldstein	Assistant 2007 – 2008 Senior Rabbi 2008 –
Hillel Athias Robles	Assistant and Associate 2008 – 2012
Lea Mühlstein	Rabbi 2013 –
Tamara Wolfson	Cantor 2018 –

Presidents
Bertram Jacobs	1971 – 1982
Charles Samuel	1985 – 1990
Alan Lewis	1990 – 1995
June Samuel	1995 – 2000
Neil Drapkin	2000 – 2004
Richard Conradi	2004 – 2009
Tony Sacker	2009 – 2014
Steve Herman	2014 – 2019
Spencer Cowan	2019 –

Vice-Presidents
Harry Hazel	1985 – 1990
Brian Sass	2009 –
Steve Herman	2019 –

Chairpersons
Alan Lewis	1964 – 1967
Alex Popper	1967 – 1968
Harry Hazel	1968 – 1972
Michael Leaver	1972 – 1975
Charles Samuel	1975 – 1978
Bernard Barnett	1978 – 1980
June Samuel	1980 – 1983
Tony Sacker	1983 – 1986
Barbara Kohn	1986 – 1989
Richard Conradi	1989 – 1993
Richard Messik	1993 -1996
Richard Conradi	1996 – 1998
Jeff Defries	1998 – 2001
Sharron Phillips	2001 – 2004
Tony Sacker	2004 – 2005
Brian Sass	2005 – 2009
David Edelman	2009 – 2012
Nigel Cole	2012 – 2015
Mimi Konigsberg	2015 – 2019
Leslie Moss	2019 –

Chatanei Torah	Chatanei Bereishit
Alan Lewis & Alex Popper		1967
Milton Gilbert	Alan Cohen	1968
No Record		1969
Bertram Jacobs	Phyllis Jacobs	1970
Alan Lewis	Joan Lewis	1971
No Record		1972
Leslie Brooks	Adele Brooks	1973
No Record		1974
No Record		1975
No Record		1976
Rabbi Sidney Brichto	Cathryn Brichto	1977
Brenda Newman	Norman Newman	1978
June Samuel	Charles Samuel	1979
David Amstell	Rose Amstell	1980
Paul Gilbert	Sally Gilbert	1981
Janet Abrahams	Ralph Baer	1982
Harold Reese	Cyril Brown	1983
David Simmons	Rene Simmons	1984
Tony Sacker	Frances Sacker	1985
Elkan Kohn	Barbara Kohn	1986
Bryan Diamond	Judith Diamond	1987
Michael Leaver	Sharon Gross	1988
Ruth Goldstein	Aaron Goldstein	1989
Rabbi Andrew Goldstein	Sharon Goldstein	1990
Joan Lewis	Alan Lewis	1991
Peter Jordan	Carrie Kaye	1992
Rose Amstell	David Amstell	1993
Marguerite & Brian Price	Ann & Stewart Rose	1994
Phil Stone	Diana Stone	1995
Brian Sass	Veronica Sass	1996
Neville & Toni Price	Adrienne & Alan Mansell	1997
Cynthia Drapkin	Neil Drapkin	1998
Angela Conradi	Richard Conradi	1999
Spencer Cowan	Dalya Manches	2000
Avril & Joel Witte	Sue & Wally Katz	2001
Ingrid Squires	Penny & Cyril Sherwood	2002
Gillian & Tony Leaf	Angela & Raymond Freed	2003
Barbara & Geoffrey Fisher	David & Marion Grant	2004
Sheila Lubich	Nelly Clynes	2005
Geoffrey & Betty Davis	Judi & Steve Herman	2006
Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein	Sharon Goldstein	2007
Mark Greenberg	Sandra Greenberg	2008
Phil Stone	Diana Stone	2009
Cynthia Drapkin	Suzanne Haffner	2010
Carole and John Kettle	Clive and Sheila Sofaer	2011
David Edelman	Fiona Holding	2012
Peter Mann		2013
Tony Sacker	Carole Jordan and Doffy Aarons	2014
Rose Amstell and Brian Sass	Richard and Ruth Colin	2015
Shirley Coster and Alan Klein	Deborah Boffey and Jonathan Drapkin	2016
Sivan Bachrach and Debbie Bello	Peter Bello, Neil and Sue Frais	2017
Suzie Vanner and Vanessa Berle	Barbara Kohn	2018
Czech and Slovak Connections Committee: Tom & Irene Crosby, Cynthia & Neil Drapkin, Jane Drapkin, Rabbi Dr Andrew & Sharon Goldstein, Michael Gordon, Michael Heppner, Jack Lynes, Dave & Rene Simmons, Brian Sass and Clive & Sheila Sofaer		2019