The West Central Section of the Jewish Religious Union (JRU) was founded in 1916 by the Hon. Miss Lilian Helen Montagu, CBE, JP, and her sister the Hon. Miss Marian Montagu, daughters of the strictly Orthodox founder of the Federation of Synagogues, Samuel Montagu, the First Baron Swaythling. The sisters had already built up a highly successful Jewish Girls Club in the Bloomsbury area, so a religious congregation was a natural progression.

By 1928 the section had developed sufficiently to be constituted as an independant congregation and in that year its first full time minister Rabbi Dr. Solomon Starrels was appointed. During the 1930's the congregation developed and grew quickly due both to the dynamism of the Montagu sisters and the excellent reputation of Rabbi Dr. Starrels as a preacher and teacher.

In 1933 Rabbi Dr. Starrels left to become the founding Rabbi of the North Western Reform Synagogue in Alyth Gardens, Golders Green. He was replaced temporarily by Rev. Maurice Perlzweig and then Rabbi David Jacobson was appointed Minister. The congregation continued to grow, attracting considerable support from the then local Jewish population. Rabbi Jacobson left in 1936 to return to the United States and Rev. Perlzweig once again stepped into the breach, aiding the congregation until the end of 1938.

During the period from 1938 to 1946, Miss Montagu acted as Lay Minister, but received considerable assistance from Rabbi Dr. Israel Mattuck from St. John's Wood, Rabbi Dr. Harold Reinhart from West London, and other leading Ministers from Liberal and Reform congregations, including Rev. Leslie Edgar, Rev. Vivian Simmons, Rev. Philip Cohen and Rev. Stanley Solomons. Indeed, during the war years, the congregation was also served by a rota of very distinguished German 'Liberaal' Rabbis, including Dr. Bruno Italiener, Dr. Rudolf Brasch, Dr. Werner van der Zyl, Dr. Heinrich Lemle, Ernst Sawady, Dr. Georg Salzberger, Curtis Cassell, Jacob Kokotek and at the end of the war by Dr. Leo Baeck.

In 1941 the congregation suffered its greatest loss and tragedy when a German Land Mine scored a direct hit on the Club and Synagogue building in Alfred Place, at the height of the Blitz on London. In an instant, the building was gone and 27 people spending the night there were killed. Despite this tragic blow, the Montagu sisters rallied the members and the congregation continued to function from temporary premises until a new Synagogue could be built.

Rev. Dr. Frederick Solomonski was appointed Minister in May 1946 and the congregation began the long recovery from the war years, including the search for a site to build a new Synagogue to replace the one destroyed by bombing in 1941.

A suitable site on the corner of Whitfield and Maple Street was found and in 1954 the first phase of the new building was consecrated. 1955 saw the departure of Rev. Dr. Solomonski for a post in the United States and the subsequent appointment of Rev. Joseph Ascher as Minister. The congregation now began a period of stability and phenomenal growth culminating in 1960 when the membership stood at over 600 adults and 120 children.

Lily Montagu died in 1963, a great loss to the congregation and the community as a whole. This tragedy coincided with the beginning of a demographic shift which saw the exodus of the local inner city Jewish population to the more prosperous outer suburbs.

Rev. Joseph Ascher retired in 1967 and the congregation appointed Rabbi Roger Pavey, who served until 1971 when he left to become Minister of Southend & District Reform Synagogue.

After a brief return as acting Minister, during which time he was very ably assisted by a rota of Rabbis including Harry Jacobi, Dr. David Goldstein, Douglas Charing, Alan Mann and Dr. Sidney Brichto, Rev. Joseph Ascher finally retired in 1973 when the congregation appointed Rabbi Lawrence Rigal.

Rabbi Rigal served the congregation for almost 12 years. The 1970's and the early 1980's was an era of consolidation for the congregation, amidst a period of decreasing numbers for all religious organisationns in central london.

Rabbi Hillel Avidan, a distinguished Reform Rabbi, was appointed Minister in 1985. His ministry marked a period of great change and development, wth increased emphasis on traditional forms of observance and worship. In the same year, the congregation appointed its first Cantor, Rev Richard Golding, whose rich operatic voice further enganced our services. Richard remained with us until 1990, briefly replaced by leading American Cantor, Marshall Stone. then in late 1990 the congregation was very fortunate in appointing as its Cantor, Rev Adrian Harman, a graduate of London's Orthodox Seminary, Jews College. Adrian is an extremely gifted musician with a beautiful mellow voice.

During the early 1990's, the congregation redeveloped its existing site to provide a modern synagogue. Rabbi Avidan left the congregation in 1992 in order to take up an appointment in South Africa.

In the Summer of 1992, with the new building under construction and a renewed sense of purpose, the congregation appointed Rabbi Mark Soloman as its Minister. Rabbi Solomon came from a traditional Orthodox background and received his ordination at Jews College from the then Chief Rabbi, Sir Immanuel Jakobovits. Rabbi Solomon was an extremely gifted preacher and teacher, a Rabbi in the best tradition of the team. Mark spent over 8 years with the congregation before leaving at the end of October 2000 to take up a post with the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, St John's Wood. In July 2002, the congregation was delighted to announce the appointment of Rabbi Janet Burden as its new Minister. Janet is a graduate of the Leo Baeck College in London.

Today, West Central is again a growing and developing community, where all may find a friendly and congenial setting in which to meet and worship