History of the Synagogue

In 1948 a few families founded Wembley & District Liberal Synagogue and established a small welcoming community. Numbers grew rapidly as newcomers enjoyed the benefits of communal Liberal Jewish life. A fundraising campaign purchased the Preston Lawn Tennis Club on Preston Road, Harrow, and a bid of £1,700 was sufficient to secure five hard courts, a putting green and a small wooden pavilion. At a further cost of £1,600 a brick hall with a seating capacity of 200 was built and a warm and welcoming community was created – a place of worship, a centre of learning and a meeting place for members of all ages. In 1965 a permanent synagogue was built and a major extension was added in 1978. In 2003 we embarked on a further phase of development, selling two-thirds of our site and investing in a new modern two storey building on the remaining one-third which was completed in 2004. In June 2011 the Preston Road site was sold and HWPS moved to Bessborough Road to share premises with Middlesex New Synagogue.