HISTORY

The Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation is an orthodox Sephardi congregation of 1,300 members with synagogues in the City of London, Maida Vale and Wembley.

The Maida Vale synagogue, at the junction of Lauderdale Road and Ashworth roads, is called Sha'ar Hashamayim but is referred to as "Lauderdale Road."

The congregation was founded in the City of London over 300 years ago by a community that had escaped the Inquisition to Amsterdam. Some of its members settled in London when Oliver Cromwell set aside laws banning Jews from living in England.

Lauderdale Road synagogue was founded over 100 years ago for members of the congregation moving from the East End of London to the more comfortable West End.

The original Spanish and Portuguese community has been joined since the 1950's by refugees from Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Morocco & Tunisia. There are also members from the community of Gibraltar. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur separate Iraqi ("Bablit") services are held.

Source: Synagogue Website