Misplaced Pages

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sternberg Centre" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Sternberg Centre for Judaism, in East End Road, Finchley, London, is a campus hosting a number of Jewish institutions, built around the 18th-century Finchley manor house.

It was founded to facilitate a number of Reform and Liberal Jewish institutions, attached to the Movement for Reform Judaism (previously Reform Synagogues of Great Britain), principally through education and cultural means. The centre was opened in 1981 by the Manor House Trust and is now named after Sigmund Sternberg. The founding organisations are: Leo Baeck College, the Movement for Reform Judaism and the Akiva School, the first Reform Jewish day school in England (also opened in 1981). Later the (Masorti) New North London Synagogue also located there. The Sternberg Centre also includes the offices of RSY Netzer, The Zionist Youth Movement for Reform Judaism.

The centre also hosted the Jewish Museum, Finchley until 2007.

Movement for Reform Judaism

The Movement for Reform Judaism has had its headquarters at the site since 1981. The Movement is the national umbrella organisation of 41 autonomous synagogues. Staff based at the Sternberg Centre work to support these synagogues including work with small communities, the Reform Beit Din (religious court), education, youth work, work with students and young adults and practical support for synagogues including HR, IT and communications.

Regular events are organised including a biennial Jewish music conference, residential weekends and events for people in mixed-faith relationships and those considering conversion to Judaism, a national biennial conference held at a regional venue and a northern Reform Jewish communities weekend.

Akiva School

Akiva School was established in 1981. It became a two-form entry voluntary-aided school in 2007 and moved into a new purpose-built state-of-the-art building in January 2008. Akiva is the only voluntary-aided Progressive Jewish primary school in North West London. It is an inclusive and egalitarian learning community, teaching its children to be happy, confident and knowledgeable citizens, with a love of Israel and all aspects of Judaism. Akiva children are taught to understand and respect themselves, others and the world.

New North London Synagogue

New North London Synagogue
The synagogue interior in 2012
Religion
Affiliation	Conservative Judaism
Rite	Masorti Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue
Leadership	Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Status	Active
Location
Location	80 East End Road, Finchley, Borough of Barnet, London, England N3 2SY
Country	United Kingdom
Location of the synagogue in the Sternberg Centre, in Greater London
Geographic coordinates	51°35′43″N 0°11′22″W / 51.59528°N 0.18944°W / 51.59528; -0.18944
Architecture
Architect(s)	van Heyningen and Haward Architects
Date established	1974 (as a congregation)
Completed	2011
Website
mynnls.org.uk

The congregation, which is affiliated to the Masorti movement, was founded in 1974 by followers of Louis Jacobs, and now has about 2,400 members. The rabbi of the congregation, since 1987, is Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg.

After some years of nomadic existence, the congregation raised over £6 million to construct a synagogue building in the Sternberg Centre site, which was opened in 2011. Designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects, the new synagogue includes three prayer venues, a nursery and teenager’s room, as well as social and administrative spaces.

Leo Baeck College

Named in honour of Leo Baeck, the inspirational 20th-century German Reform rabbi, Leo Baeck College was founded in 1956 as a rabbinical school for training Liberal and Reform rabbis. Today, the college is a centre for the training of rabbis and teachers, and an educational consultancy. It also helps the development of community leaders and provides access to Jewish learning for all through interfaith work. It is a degree-awarding institution, specialising in Hebrew and other Jewish-related subjects. It is now based at the Sternberg Centre.

Manor House Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling

The Manor House Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (MHCPC) provides training for people working or planning to work in both paid and voluntary positions in the community. There are excellent teaching facilities, a library and cafeteria. The Training Programme has developed over many years experience enabling students to work effectively and creatively within the counselling field, in the community and in specific work places. The term "counselling" is used in many contexts and the variety of trainings and models can be confusing. The MHCPC offers comprehensive training in psychodynamic counselling leading to the Certificate in Counselling Skills or the Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and Therapy in the Community.

Jewish Museum, Finchley

Opened as the Museum of the Jewish East End, founded by David Jacobs in 1983, the museum's main intent was the preservation of the heritage of London's East End, an important and large community which has since largely dissipated. Renamed the London Museum of Jewish Life in 1990, and subsequently amalgamating with the Jewish Museum in Camden Town, the museum diversified to include the history of other Jewish communities in London, and is also active in Holocaust and anti-racism education.

The Finchley museum closed in 2007 and moved in 2009 to an enlarged building on the Camden site, releasing space for the expansion of the Akiva School.

See also

• History of Church End Finchley – includes a history of the old Manor House at the centre of the site
• History of the Jews in England
• List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom
• List of synagogues in the United Kingdom

References

1. "Home page". Akiva School. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
2. "About us". New North London Synagogue. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
3. Mara, Felix (18 April 2012). "Bricks and Torah". Architects' Journal.
4. "Special issue on the 50th anniversary of Leo Baeck College". European Judaism. 39 (1). 2006. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
5. "50 years of Leo Baeck College: An overview 1956–2006". Leo Baeck College. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011.
6. "The history of the Jewish Museum". History. Jewish Museum London. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
7. Jacobs, David: "Valedictory Address", Issue 98, Manna, Freedman Brothers Ltd, 2007.

External links

• New North London Synagogue official website
  • New North London Synagogue on Jewish Communities and Records – UK (hosted by jewishgen.org)
• Leo Baeck College official website

v t e   Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom
Rabbis and other leaders	Living Charley Baginsky Rebecca Birk Lucian Hudson Julia Neuberger Danny Rich Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah Mark Solomon Alexandra Wright Historical Sidney Brichto Albert Friedlander Harry Jacobi Lily Montagu Claude Montefiore John Rayner
Communities and synagogues	Bloomsbury Brighton Ealing Finchley LJS (St John's Wood) Lincolnshire Peterborough South London (Streatham) York
Cemeteries	Liberal Jewish Cemetery, Willesden
Organisations	Leo Baeck College LJY-Netzer Sternberg Centre

v t e   Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom
Rabbis, chazans and other leaders	Living Jaclyn Chernett Daniella Kolodny Natasha Mann Jonathan Wittenberg Historical Louis Jacobs
Communities and synagogues	Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue New London Synagogue New North London Synagogue New Stoke Newington Shul
Organisations	Sternberg Centre

v t e   Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom
Rabbis	Living Tony Bayfield Miriam Berger Barbara Borts Helen Freeman Laura Janner-Klausner Deborah Kahn-Harris Nicholas de Lange Josh Levy Jonathan Magonet Nancy Morris Julia Neuberger Jonathan Romain Sylvia Rothschild Sybil Sheridan Jackie Tabick Mark Winer Historical Leo Baeck Charles Berg Lionel Blue Curtis Cassell Albert Friedlander Hugo Gryn Arthur Löwenstamm Philip Magnus Ignaz Maybaum Harold Reinhart Sheila Shulman Werner van der Zyl
Lay leaders	Sir Sigmund Sternberg
Communities and synagogues in the Movement for Reform Judaism	London Bromley Edgware Finchley Hendon Hatch End (Kol Chai) Harrow (Mosaic) Ilford Redbridge (Sukkat Shalom) Temple Fortune (North Western/Alyth) West Hampstead (Shir Hayim) Whetstone (Sha'arei Tsedek: North London) Wimbledon Manchester Manchester Reform Whitefield (Sha'arei Shalom) Sharston (Menorah) Elsewhere Blackpool Bournemouth Bradford Brentwood (Tikvah Chadasha) Brighton and Hove Cambridge Cardiff Cornwall Coventry Darlington Glasgow Harlow Hull Isle of Wight Leeds Liverpool Maidenhead Milton Keynes Newcastle Radlett Ramsgate Sheffield South Hampshire Southend Southport Totnes Weybridge
Independent communities and synagogues	West London Westminster
Organisations	Leo Baeck College Sternberg Centre

v t e   Synagogues in the United Kingdom
England   London Barnet Belsize Square Bevis Marks Bromley Reform Central (East London) Central (Great Portland Street Edgware & Hendon Reform Finchley Progressive Reform United Golders Green Beth Hamedrash Golders Green United Hampstead Kol Chai Hatch End Kol Nefesh Masorti Lauderdale Road Liberal Jewish Machzike Hadath Mill Hill United Mosaic Reform New London New Stoke Newington New West End North Western Reform Ohel David Eastern Richmond Saatchi Sandys Row Sha'arei Tsedek North London Reform South London Liberal Oaks Lane Reform Stanmore and Canons Park Sternberg Centre Sukkat Shalom Reform Wembley United West London Western Marble Arch Westminster Wimbledon Former: Bayswater Dalston Dollis Hill Fieldgate Street Great Great Museum of Immigration and Diversity Shir Hayim West Central Liberal Wlodawa Elsewhere in England Berkshire Birmingham Central Blackpool Reform Bournemouth Hebrew Bournemouth Reform Bradford Brighton and Hove Progressive Brighton and Hove Reform Bury Cambridge Cheltenham Coventry Darlington Exeter Guildford Heaton Park Hull Isle of Wight Kehillat Kernow Lincoln Liverpool Reform Maidenhead Manchester Reform Menorah Milton Keynes Middle Street Montefiore Newcastle Reform North West Surrey Plymouth Portsmouth and Southsea Princes Road Radlett Reform Seven Hills Sha'arei Shalom (Manchester) Sinai (Leeds) Singers Hill Southend Southport & District Reform South Hampshire Reform South Manchester Thanet & District Reform Tikvah Chadasha Former: Blackpool United Brighton Regency Brunswick Terrace Old Canterbury Falmouth Greenbank Drive Jesmond Leazes Park Lincoln (Jews' Court) The New, Leeds Manchester Sephardi Northampton Medieval (remnants) Nottingham Severn Street Sunderland Wilson Road
Northern Ireland   Belfast
Scotland   Aberdeen Edinburgh Garnethill Giffnock Glasgow Reform Former: Dundee Langside South Portland Street
Wales   Cardiff Reform Cardiff United Former: Merthyr
History Category Former list

• Masorti Judaism in the United Kingdom
• 1974 establishments in England
• 21st-century synagogues in the United Kingdom
• 1981 establishments in England
• Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Barnet
• Finchley
• Jewish museums in the United Kingdom
• Jewish organizations established in 1974
• Jewish seminaries
• Masorti synagogues in the United Kingdom
• Religion in the London Borough of Barnet
• Religious museums in England
• Synagogues completed in 2011
• Synagogues in London