Sandys Row Synagogue looks to the Future

Thanks to generous grants of £145,092 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £40,000 from the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust, Sandys Row Synagogue and the Foundation for Jewish Heritage are working collaboratively to advance an ambitious project to safeguard London’s oldest functioning Ashkenazi synagogue and strengthen its future as a place of worship, heritage, culture and learning.

The Grade II listed synagogue in Spitalfields has remained open since 1854, on a site used continuously for worship for more than 250 years. Housed in a former Georgian Huguenot church adapted by Dutch Ashkenazi migrants, it retains its historic bimah, ark, Ladies Gallery and Georgian fabric, and stands as a rare witness to the East End’s intertwined histories of migration, faith and trade.

The building now faces urgent risks. A ceiling collapse has made a historic meeting room unusable, while damp, cracking and other defects require specialist assessment. At the same time, the volunteer-led community wants to enhance its capacity to manage repairs, welcome visitors and develop the partnerships needed for long-term sustainability.

The project will commission urgent ceiling repairs, a comprehensive Condition Survey, and a Statement of Heritage Significance.  It will review how to improve opening Sandy’s Row to the public to present the story of the Jewish East End and continue to build on hosting educational and cultural events.

The project is designed to replace reactive repairs with a costed conservation roadmap, strengthen governance and operational systems, widen public access and build new income and strengthen local partnerships without compromising the synagogue’s continuing religious role.

Harvey Rifkind, Chair of Sandys Row Synagogue, stated: “Sandys Row Synagogue has a very special history and we have many members who trace their ancestry back to the founders.  We are delighted to have received these two grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust which will enable us to work with the Foundation for Jewish Heritage to help ensure the future sustainability of this beloved building, and ensure its continuing role engaging the wider community of the area.”

Michael Mail, Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, commented: “Sandys Row Synagogue is one of only two synagogues that still survive in the East End that was once a flourishing centre of Jewish life. Sandys Row is a listed building recognising its historical significance and we are eager to work with the synagogue community to help preserve the site and also explore how it might become a centre for presenting the legacy of the Jewish East End.”

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we are delighted to support Sandys Row Synagogue, one of the most significant surviving examples of Jewish heritage in London’s East End. Historic places of worship play an important role in connecting communities with their shared history, culture and identity. This project will help safeguard this remarkable synagogue and enable more people to discover and engage with its unique heritage for generations to come.”